Notts humiliated by marauding Morecambe

A lacklustre and wasteful Notts side were torn apart at the Globe Arena on Saturday by a patchwork Morecambe side that, despite missing a number of key players and seeing several more subbed off with injuries, still ran four goals past them.

It was a frantic start from the visitors at the Globe Arena as Adam Campbell twice forced saves from goalkeeper Barry Roche and whistled a cross across the face of goal.

There was action at the other end too with Aaron Wildig’s lob from 20 yards causing Roy Carroll to back-pedal frantically, though he was lucky to see the ball land on the roof of the net.

Morecambe went on to take the lead 20 minutes in when Alan Goodall was given way too much time and space on the ball, leading to a 25-yard drive which flew beyond Carroll and into the net.

The visitors were inches from pulling level on the half-hour mark but after a fine one-two on the edge of the area Jon Stead cannoned his subsequent shot off the crossbar with Roche stranded.

Five minutes before the break, however, Genaro Snijders gave the travelling fans a moment to savour - and at the time, cause for hope - when the ball dropped to him 20 yards out and he responded by lashing a ferocious volley into the top corner of the net.

Having lost captain Shaun Beeley towards the end of the first period, Shrimpers manager Jim Bentley was also forced to replace Wildig at the break.

Morecambe found themselves on the back foot in shortly after the restart, but grew into their revised three-at-the-back system, Jamie Devitt slicing wide from just inside the box.

Ricardo Moniz's charges continued to press the issue but were sucker-punched when, against the run of play, Paul Mullin bore down on goal from the left and curled a shot beyond Carroll.

The visitors immediately went in search of an equaliser, with Campbell blazing wide from 15 yards and Stead forcing a save from Roche with a volley.

Two minutes from time it was all over as Alex Kenyon was given free rein to blaze into the area and slot the ball through the legs of Carroll.

Then, on the 90-minute mark, Devitt added gloss to the scoreline and stuck a further knife into the pride of the travelling fans by beating the offside trap and helping himself to another goal of utter simplicity.

Mullin nearly made it five in stoppage time but saw his shot from the edge of the area whistle over the crossbar, but by this time the point had been hammered down - Notts are ill-equipped and ill-prepared for life in this league.