Late goal seals fine win
A 92nd minute goal from Dan Dunleavy earned Morecambe Reserves a superb victory over champions Wigan at the Globe tonight.
Dunleavy ran on to a long through ball and kept his cool to slot the ball under Wigan keeper Marko Marosi to end a fine game in style.
The Shrimps’ youngsters took the lead on 20 minutes.
After seeing an effort cleared off the line Daniel Dunleavy was brought down by Joey Johnson’s late lunge and the referee pointed to the spot. Tom Woods’ initial effort was well saved by Marko Marosi but the Shrimps’ striker followed up smartly to stroke the ball home at the second attempt.
The second half saw chances at both ends as the play swung from end to end.
Chris Doyle did well to block Ryan Jennings’s goal bound shot before the Shrimps threatened themselves with Dunleavy volleying over the cross bar after a superb cross field ball from Charlie Bailey.
Bailey clipped an effort just wide and Doyle headed over before Wigan went close again when defender Mike Wilson stabbed the ball wide from six yards out.
Luke Ainscough then went close twice in quick succession with a shot that hit the inside of the left hand post and another effort that forced an excellent save from Stewart, diving low to his left.
The pressure finally paid off for Wigan when they equalised 11 minutes from time when skipper Tin Chow took advantage of a fortunate bounce in the Morecambe to flash a volley past the helpless Stewart from eight yards out.
Wigan continued to press with Stewart saving smartly from Chow’s close range header and then producing an even better stop to flick away a looping header from Jordan Flores.
Woods then went close to a stunning second when his overhead kick from Aaron McGowan’s cross just cleared the bar.
Guillermo Andres almost snatched victory in injury time with a delightful curler from the edge of the box that hit the left hand post with Stewart beaten.
MORECAMBE: Stewart, McGowan, Smith, Bowman, Doyle, Bailey, Dunleavy, Colbourn, Woods, McCready (rep Newby 12), Bondswell. Subs not used: Povey, Dowling.
WIGAN: Marosi, Leigh, Lambert, Balogun, Wilson, Meadows, Jennings, Ainscough, Andres, Chow, Johnson (rep Flores 35) Subs not used: Phillips, Cosgrove, Purzycki, Hamilton.