Morecambe ship five goals at Blackpool in EFL Trophy

Jim Bentley’s side’s defensive woes continued with two late goals giving the score a lopsided look but making it 15 goals conceded in four games for the Shrimps. Morecambe got off to the worst possible start as they found themselves a goal down after just four minutes. The home side won a corner from the left and Liam Feeney swung in a fine ball which was met by the head of the unmarked Ben Heneghan at the near post. From there Morecambe fought their way back into the game with Jordan Cranston in the thick of the action. On 12 minutes he forced a save from Chris Mafoumbi with a dipping 25-yard effort before hitting the left-hand post with a curling free-kick from the edge of the box. The Shrimps continued to put pressure on the home side with George Tanner flashing a shot just over before the Shrimps levelled with a smartly taken goal of their own. Kevin Ellison collected a superb Tanner cross field ball on the left and cut inside before seeing a shot deflected past Mafoumbi. In an entertaining game that swung from end to end Blackpool regained the upper hand again and laid siege to the Morecambe. Michael Nottingham hit the crossbar and Calum MacDonald hit both posts with a shot from the edge of the box before Blackpool scored a second just before the break. Feeney swung in a dangerous cross from the right that went through a crowd of bodies and found its way into the back of the Shrimps’ net. Blackpool then added a third early in the second half when striker Ryan Hardie was given too much time and space in the box to turn swiftly and fire a low shot past Halstead from 12 yards out. Morecambe once again hit back with Mafoumbi making a brilliant save low to his left to tip away a shot from Cole Stockton that was heading for the bottom left-hand corner. The home keeper was then quick to react again to deny both John O’Sullivan and Rhys Oates in quick succession as the Shrimps enjoyed another period of dominance. But as Morecambe pushed forward they were hit twice in the final minute of the game. Sullay Kaikai made it 4-1 in the 89th minute with a close-range finish after Halstead had saved well from Nathan Shaw’s curling effort and Joe Nuttall made it five in injury time with a long-range shot that squeezed through Halstead’s hands to give the scoreline a flattering, but worrying look. Blackpool: Mafoumbi, Nottingham Heneghan, Anderton, Feeney, Virtue (Shaw 65), Scannell (Kaikai 77), Feeney (Turton 45), Guy, Macdonald, Hardie, Nuttall. Subs not used: Alnwick, Spearing, Tilt, Gnanduillet. Morecambe: Halstead, Tanner, Sutton, Lavelle, Conlan (Buxton 62), O’Sullivan (Mendes-Gomes 75), Oates, Wildig (Lynch 66), Ellison, Cranston, Stockton. Subs not used: Roche, Tutte, Howard, Brownsword. Referee: M Edwards. Attendance: 2,219