Crawley 1 Morecambe 1: Late goal denies Reds
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Matt Harrold gave Reds a 53rd minute lead from short-range but Morecambe’s Shaun Miller levelled with seven minutes to go.
Mark Yates named an unchanged team from that which beat Newport 2-0 on Tuesday with Lanre Oyebanjo making his second start and Simon Walton on the bench, back from his three-match ban.
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Hide AdMorecambe made two changes with former Reds Shaun Miller making hbis return up front following suspension and winger Luke Conlan replacing the benched Tom Barkuhuizen.
A quiet first half did not see a great deal between two evenly-matched sides.
Lyle Della-Verde supplied a corner vto Matt Harrold for a chance in front of goal by the Reds’ striker header went straight to keeper Barry Roche.
Gwion Edwards had a shot blocked from Della-Verde’s cross before Oyebanjo’s follow-up cross was cleared for a corner.
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Hide AdMorecambe responded at the other end with a volley by Miller flying narrowly wide from 25 yards.
Ryan Edwards hit the post with a header for the visitors but the referee had already blown for a foul.
Della-Verde found Andy Bond from a corner played short and he struck from a narrow angle, forcing a low save from Roche.
As the first half struggled to get going as a spectacle, Oyebanjo launched a low shot from 30 yards which the keeper held.
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Hide AdJust before the break, Morecambe forced Paul Jones into making a good save to deny Luke Conlan having been put through by Aaron Wildig.
The game finally came to life nine minutes into the second half when Della-Verde’s cross was not cleared and Marrold put away from 12 yards.
Della Verde kept the pressure on a Reds searched for a second goal with a dangerous 25-yard low strike which was comfortably held by Roche.
Miller equalised for the Shrimpers in the 83rd minute with a low left-footed finish which was headed on to him from a corner.
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Hide AdREDS (5-4-2): Jones, Oyebanjo, Bradley, Edwards, Fenelon, Ashton, Harrold, Bond, Sutherland, Della-Verde (Deacon 86), Dunne
UNUSED SUBS: Walton, Barnard, Preston, Young, Bawling, Deacon, Yorwerth
MORECAMBE (3-4-1-2): Roche, Beeley, Kenyon, Edwards, Devitt (Mullin 78), Ellison, Goodall, Wildig (Barkuhuizen 67), Miller, Doyle, Conlan
UNUSED SUBS: McGowan, Molyneux, Wilson, Parrish, O’Hara
REFEREE: Iaian Williamson
ATTENDANCE: 1,697 (61 away)
MAN OF THE MATCH: Matt Harrold
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