Morecambe earn late draw at Crawley to climb off foot of League Two table

Posted Sunday, November 17, 2019 by PA

A late strike from Cole Stockton earned a hard-earned point for Morecambe which took them off the bottom of Sky Bet League Two with a 1-1 draw at Crawley.

Bez Lubala’s first-half penalty put Crawley ahead, but a spirited Morecambe display saw them take a point in Derek Adams’ first game in charge.

Morecambe carved out some early openings and, after George Tanner and Aaron Wildig were off target, Cole Stockton should have put the Shrimps ahead.

Former Tranmere forward Stockton fired wide from a good position in the 11th minute following a pass by Wildig.

Crawley top-scorer Bez Lubala had a free-kick turned away by goalkeeper Mark Halstead before the Reds’ opposite number Glenn Morris parried a goal-bound shot from Luke Conlan.

Crawley broke the deadlock a minute before the interval with Lubala notching his ninth goal of the season from the penalty spot after Tom Brewitt had brought down David Sesay.

Former Birmingham man Lubala came close to scoring again shortly after the break when a cross by Lewis Young just eluded him in front of goal.

Substitute Ashley Nathaniel-George was twice off target as Crawley enjoyed the greater possession.

But Morecambe clinched a point through Stockton with nine minutes remaining, the forward rifling in a first-time shot from a cross by Brewitt.