Morecambe 2 : 1 Mansfield Town - Shrimps up and running in 2015

Morecambe secured their first win of the calendar year with a narrow 2-1 victory over battling Mansfield.

All the goals came in the first 27 minutes and the Shrimps, who had led 2-0, held on for a long-awaited three points.

Jim Bentley's side took the lead 17 minutes in with Paul Mullin scoring his fifth goal of the season.

The home side produced a well-worked corner as Jamie Devitt found Shaun Beeley whose shot from the edge of the box was turned in from close range by teenage striker Mullin.

The Shrimps continued to create chances with Mansfield keeper Lenny Pidgeley saving superbly from Alan Goodall before Morecambe added a second after 25 minutes.

A long ball into the Stags' box found Kevin Ellison and he produced a superb first touch and turned inside his man before flashing a left-foot shot past Pidgeley from eight yards out.

Mansfield looked sharp on the break and pulled themselves back in the game two minutes after Ellison's effort with a well-taken free-kick by midfielder Simon Heslop, who curled the ball over the wall and into the top left-hand corner of the Morecambe goal.

The second half saw Mansfield dominate possession but produce only one shot on goal when Jamie McGuire was denied by an excellent Andreas Arestidou tip over from a snapshot from the edge of the box.