ROVERS’ JOY AS GILMOUR TURNS IT ON
TRANMERE boss Micky Mellon was full of praise for both sides after this seven-goal thriller saw Rovers come out on top.
On-loan Sheffield United man Harvey Gilmour was the hero for Rovers with two goals in his first full league start.
Mellon said: “It was a proper game of football with both sides going hell for leather and it was a great win for us.”
It ended with a fracas involving both sets of players with Tranmere goalkeeping coach Eric Nixon being shown a red card.
Morecambe went ahead thanks to a superb 25-yard shot from Rhys Oates after 13 minutes. The visitors hit back just before the half hour with a well worked freekick. Harvey Gilmour floated the ball into the Morecambe area and Ollie Banks used his height and strength to head past Barry Roche from six yards out.
The Shrimps were then denied a clear penalty for handball before Mellon’s side took the lead four minutes from the break. Zoumana Bakayogo was found on the overlap down the left and produced the perfect cross for Gilmour to beat Roche with a diving header from eight yards out.
Jonny Smith made it 3-1 with a fine finish from the edge of the box. The Shrimps got their second when Vadaine Oliver headed home Zak Mills’s cross from close range after 73 minutes.
The home side then levelled when Tutte’s cross into the area was flicked by Leitch-Smith past Davies from 12 yards out.
The action didn’t stop there, however, as Gilmour curled home Bakayogo’s lay-off to seal the win. Mellon added: “There were a lot of things we could improve on because at 3-1 up I thought we were cruising. We missed some good chances to really kill it off and, all of a sudden, it was 3-3 and could have gone either way.
“I know what we should have done better, but I am not going to criticise anyone after that game of football. It was just one of those days where the play went from end to end and, although there were seven goals, there could have been a lot more as two groups of players had a right good go in an atmosphere that was fantastic and the football was superb.’’
Morecambe boss Jim Bentley said his side were disappointed to lose after working hard to come back from 3-1 down. He said: “It was an excellent game but unfortunately we came out the wrong side of it. When you score three goals at home you shouldn’t really be losing games and our inexperience at the back came through a little. “But I can’t really criticise the lads too much because they put in a fantastic effort, played some great stuff and helped make it a brilliant game of football. “We weren’t helped by some of the decisions that clearly went against us but we kept on battling.’’
MORECAMBE: Roche 6, Mills 6, Yarney 6, Lavelle 6, Conlan 6, Tutte 7, Wildig 7 (Piggott 90+2, 6), Oates 7 (Ellison 77, 6), Leitch-Smith 7, Mandeville 7, Oliver 6 (Oswell 86, 6). Subs not used: Jagne, Halstead, Hedley, Cranston.
TRANMERE ROVERS: Scott Davies 6, Buxton 6, McNulty 6, Monthe 6, Bakayogo 6, Jon Smith 7 (Mottley-Henry 77, 6), McCullough 7, Banks 7, Gilmour 8, Mullin 6 (Akammadu 84, 6), Jennings 6 (Ellis 90+2, 6). Subs not used: Tollitt, Caprice, Cole, Wharton.