Crewe Alexandra vs Morecambe. Sky Bet League Two.
Alexandra StadiumAttendance3,840.
Monday 2 January 2012 18:27, UK
Crewe could not make long periods of dominance count as Kevin Ellison ensured Morecambe left Gresty Road with a 1-0 victory.
The Railwaymen dominated the opening 45 minutes but found themselves trailing at the break. Alex youngster Nick Powell shot wide with a 30-yard free-kick, and when Morecambe keeper Barry Roche was called into action he pulled off two fine saves to keep out Lee Bell's fierce free-kick and Ashley Westwood's snapshot. But the visitors took the lead in the 33rd minute with their first shot of the game. Andy Parrish whipped in a superb cross which Alex defender Adam Dugdale could only flick-on for Ellison to lash home at the far post. Danny Carlton thought he had doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, but the winger was fractionally offside when he flicked Phil Jevons' shot past Crewe keeper Steve Phillips. Despite Crewe remaining on the front foot after the interval, it was Morecambe who looked the more likely to score with their rare forays forward. Ellison headed Lewis Alessandra's corner onto the post before the former cut in and lashed the ball against the crossbar. The Shrimps' top scorer, who penned a new contract on the eve of the game, then had Phillips scrambling to keep out a long-range shot and Lawrence Wilson flashed a low drive inches wide of the Alex goal.
