Morecambe: Barry Roche, David Artell, James Bentley (c), Garry Hunter (Craig Stanley 77), Wayne Curtis, Rene Howe (Matthew Blinkhorn 77), Neil Wainwright, Diarmuid O'Carroll, Stewart Drummond, Ryan McCann, Andrew Parrish

Subs: Scott Davies (gk), Craig Stanley, Fraser McLachlan, Matthew Blinkhorn, Henry McStay

Town: Luke Daniels, Mike Jackson, Graham Coughlan, Dave Hibbert, Ben Herd, Ben Davies (c), Grant Holt, Chris Humphrey (Marc Pugh 76), Marc Tierney, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff (Neil Ashton 69), Kevin McIntyre

Subs: Glynn Garner, Neil Ashton, Marc Pugh, Kelvin Langmead, Steven Hindmarch

Ref: D Webb
Assistants: P Bankes, D Roberts
Fourth Official: S Duncan

Attendance: 2318 (524)

Paul Simpson makes a number of changes to the side that won away to Exeter City in the Johnstone Paint Trophy in the week.Mike Jackson, Dave Hibbert, Grant Holt and Marc Tierney return to the starting line-up.Chris Humphrey is favoured ahead of Darren Moss and Kelvin Langmead drops to the bench with the return of Graham Coughlan.

The early advantage went to the home side who took the lead after 4-minutes.A clearance from Daniels got caught in the wind and dropped just in front of the halfway line, the ball was headed back towards the Town goal and Rene Howe pounced on the ball, his pace took him away from Coughlan and he kept his composure to nick the ball past Daniels to make it 1-0 to the Shrimpers.

Town did look dangerous when they got at the Morecambe defence and Ben Davies was working hard down the left to make space to the forwards.The visitors best effort came after Davies and Holt combined down the left, Holt put the ball into Hibbert who did a nice little dummy to make himself space before hitting in a low drive which flew just wide of the target.

Morecambe should really have been 2-0 up just before the half-hour mark after Drummond cleared low down the right wing, McIntyre looked to have it covered but let the ball fly under his foot and this released Hunter in behind the Town defence, he kept his run going towards the Town goal but elected to cut the ball back into the run of O'Carroll but luckily for Town he smashed his shot we wide of Daniels goals.

It was becoming an open game with both sides having good spells around each others penalty areas.Town were awarded a free-kick just inside their half after Neil Wainwright was adjudged to have fouled Ben Herd, Mike Jackson played a hanging ball towards the Morecambe box and Holt had found space in behind, he flicked a header on towards goal but Roche was down quickly to smoother the ball.

Chris Humphrey was proving a useful outlet down the right hand side and he was giving Andrew Parrish a torrid time when he went at the Morecambe left-back.On occasions all Parrish would do was block off Humphrey but when he didn't do this Humphrey's pace left Parrish for dead before he drove a low ball to the near post towards Holt but again Roche was alert to get down and smoother the ball.

There had been several committed challenges from both sides during the half but it took until a couple of minutes before half-time for ref Webb to bring his cards out of his pocket, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff slid in to tackle Stewart Drummond but caught the ex Town player late and was shown the yellow card.

Half-time: 0-1

The break didn't seem to have stopped with sides attacking play and both continued to be positive.Town had a couple of decent efforts after the restart with Holt, Candsell-Sherriff and Hibbert focrcing decent saves out of Roche but at the other end Daniels had to make a couple of smart saves to keep the home side at bay.

Morecambe were still causing Town a number of problems when they got forward and the swirling wind was causing both sides problems.A hanging ball towards the Town box from Drummond put Tierney under pressure, he let the ball drop but the wind caught it and gave possession to Howe, he laid it back to Curtis but he smashed his shot high and wide of the target.

Town looked to be on the back foot a little with just over 20 minutes on the clock.The visitors were making a number of unforced errors and giving the home side possession a little too easily at times.There was a big shout from the Morecambe fans for a penalty after a ball in behind the Town defence saw Jackson and Howe tustle for the ball, Jackson got a foot in and got the ball back to Daniels but Howe went over and this saw a bit shout for a sending off from the Christie Road faithful.Morecambe continued to push and there were some decent efforts on the Town goal the pick from Drummond who curled a shot round which Daniels got down well to get his body behind and block.

On 69-minutes Paul Simpson made his first switch of the afternoon bringing on Neil Ashton to replace Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, Ashton slotted in the midfield slot vacated by Cansdell-Sherriff.

The chances were still falling too Town when they got the ball down and got at the home side.Some good work in the midfield by McIntyre saw the ball pushed out wide, it was then played back to Holt who pushed play to Hibbert on the edge of the box, he turned his marker one way before driving in a good looking shot but it was straight at Roche who held on well.

With just under quarter of an hour remaining Paul Simpson made his second change of the afternoon bringing Marc Pugh on to replace Chris Humphrey, Pugh went on the left and Ben Davies moved onto the right of midfield.

Morecambe had a great chance to add to their lead after some good pressure saw the ball with Blinkhorn, he looked to get the ball into the Town box but it took a deflection off a Town player and dropped to Diarmuid O'Carroll, he was unmarked in the box but Luke Daniels was down quickly to make a superb save and keep Town in the game.

Town continued to push and push for the equaliser but they just couldn't get the rub of the green around the Morecambe box.In the end all the effort couldn't result in a goal and it was Town's first league defeat of the season.

Full-time: 0-1