Adam Phillips effort enough as Morecambe edge Maldon & Tiptree

Posted Sunday, November 08, 2020 by PA

Sky Bet League Two Morecambe overcame a stubborn Maldon & Tiptree with a narrow 1-0 win to move into the second round of the FA Cup.

Adam Phillips scored the Shrimps’ winner with the only goal of the game coming from the penalty sport three minutes before half-time.

Home goalkeeper Ben McNamara, who was outstanding throughout the game, brought Carlos Mendes Gomes down in the box after the midfielder had latched onto a fine through ball and Phillips made no mistake from 12 yards.

It was Maldon & Tiptree – who play their football in the eighth tier, the Isthmian League North Division – who had the first notable chance of the game as Shomari Barnwell got the wrong side of Sam Lavelle to have a clear run on goal but his shot was well blocked by Morecambe stopper Jake Turner.

From there on the visitors controlled the game and created a number of good chances, only to be denied by home goalkeeper McNamara on a number of occasions.

Phillips was the first to test the Australian with a shot from 20 yards that forced a low save before the keeper reacted superbly to race from his goal to deny Aaron Wildig an opening with a brave block.

Morecambe continued on the front foot with Nathaniel Knight-Percival failing to provide a strong finish from a goalmouth scramble before McNamara saved superbly again from a close-range Jordan Slew volley.

The second half saw Morecambe create the better chances with McNamara saving well from Knight-Percival and Phillips and they were unlucky to see a Mendes-Gomes effort wrongly ruled out for offside.

Both sides went for it at the death with Maldon pushing the Shrimps all the way with substitute Adam Vyse going desperately close to an equaliser with a shot from the edge of the box that flew inches wide.