Mansfield thrash Morecambe 4-0 to go second
Friday 19 April 2019 19:35, UK
Mansfield's promotion push continued with a comprehensive 4-0 home win over Morecambe to edge up into second place.
Only Morecambe goalkeeper Barry Roche was between the Stags and a hatful of goals in a largely one-sided first half.
He made two outstanding saves to keep out close-range headers from Gethin Jones and also denied Jacob Mellis, Neal Bishop, and Tyler Walker.
But he was helpless on the half-hour mark as Mansfield's pressure paid off when Mellis drilled home low from just inside the box after being found in space by Mal Benning's intelligent low pulled-back pass from the left.
Home nerves jangled when Conrad Logan had to save a Steven Old header from a 66th-minute corner.
But four minutes later Morecambe failed to clear a Jorge Grant free-kick and skipper Krystian Pearce was able to steer home a low finish to ease the tension.
Three minutes later Mellis found CJ Hamilton in the box, who stepped inside and drilled low under Roche for a third and five minutes from time Benning added the fourth with a low shot from 25 yards that flew just inside the far post.
