Phillips nets on Morecambe bow as draw with Colchester lifts Shrimps off bottom

Posted Sunday, January 12, 2020 by PA

Morecambe moved off the foot of the League Two table after sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Colchester at the Globe Arena.

A first-half goal from Frank Nouble gave Colchester the advantage at the break only for Morecambe debutant Adam Phillips to earn the draw with a 69th-minute header.

Colchester went ahead in the 35th minute. The visitors took a quick throw-in down the left side with Ryan Clampin producing a superb low cross into the Morecambe area which was met by Nouble to score from close range at full stretch.

The visitors went close to adding a second in first-half injury time when Harry Pell tried his luck from distance with a shot that took a wicked defection off a Morecambe defender and curled inches wide of the left hand post.

They went close again on the hour when Kwame Poku saw a shot turned onto the post by goalkeeper Mark Halstead, and Morecambe took advantage of the reprieve when Phillips ran onto a superb cross from substitute John O’Sullivan to head past Dean Gerken from 12 yards out.

As both sides pressed for the winner Colchester were reduced to 10 men when Ryan Jackson was sent off for a second bookable offence with seven minutes to go.

Morecambe almost took advantage of their numerical advantage as sub A-Jay Leitch-Smith saw two shots blocked and Carlos Mendes Gomes also drilled an effort wide from the edge of the box.