Alexander fuming after his Salford team pay the penalty at Morecambe

Posted Sunday, September 08, 2019 by PA

Salford boss Graham Alexander could not hold back his anger after seeing his side miss two penalties in an exciting 2-2 draw at Morecambe.

Spot-kick misses from Danny Lloyd, who scored both his team’s goals, then Richie Towell, meant Alexander’s men had to settle for a fifth successive League Two draw after goals from the hosts’ Shaun Miller and Lewis Alessandra.

Alexander fumed: “Even if you take the penalties out of it we had more than enough chances to win that game.

’’It was a game we should have won 4-0 but we had five minutes of absolute madness which undid all the good work we did in the first half.

“We dominated, created chances and I can’t get to grips with what I saw in those five minutes. I need to watch that five-minute spell again.

“You have to give Morecambe credit for seizing on the opportunity we gave them at the start of the second half, which they should never have had.

“I can’t talk too much about the game because the way we conceded those goals is clouding my judgement at the moment and my overriding thought is one of frustration that we haven’t won a game we should have won comfortably.”

Morecambe manager Jim Bentley said: “It was a very eventful game with plenty of positives from us and plenty of negatives.

“It was one of those eventful games we could have won but on another day we could have lost – but we will take the point and move on.

“It was another game where we were punished for almost every mistake we made but some of our football was excellent at times and I don’t think we get the credit we deserve at times and we scored two excellent goals.

“They came back into it as we knew they would – and got back into it with a rare mistake from Barry Roche. But I’m really pleased that the was able to make amends with a brilliant penalty save.’’

Lloyd fired Salford ahead on 15 minutes and was given a chance to double the advantage 16 minutes later after Carl Piergianni’s header hit the hand of a Morecambe defender – but the winger’s penalty hit the bar.

The hosts turned the tables with a fine start to the second half as they took the lead with goals from Miller and Alessandra.

However, after a period of Morecambe dominance Salford were gifted an equaliser midway through the second half when Lloyd’s free-kick was fumbled by Roche.

The visitors had the chance to seal the points with a second penalty two minutes from time when Adam Buxton was harshly adjudged to have fouled Lloyd but Towell’s spot-kick was superbly saved by Roche.