Morecambe 3-4 Bristol Rovers
Attendance: 1,712 (386)Rovers secured their second away win in a week beating Morecambe 3-4 at the Globe Arena.
Goals from Lee Mansell, Billy Bodin, Matty Taylor and a Ellis Harrison penalty secured all three points in a seven goal thriller.
Darrell Clarke named his first unchanged 11 of the season as the only change to the matchday squad saw Daniel Leadbitter replace Jamie Lucas on the substitutes bench.
Rovers started well in the game and following a spell of possession Matty Taylor sprung the offside trap before being forced wide by Ryan Edwards onto his weaker left foot before firing a tame effort into the arms of Barry Roche.
The Shrimps began by pumping several balls into the Rovers penalty area but loan goalkeeper Lee Nicholls was equal to them all commanding his box well in the process before Rovers started to dominate the first half.
Jake Gosling’s corner was taken low towards Billy Bodin who failed to get a proper connection on the ball dragging his effort wide of the up right.
With 21 minutes on the clock Rovers had their first real chance of the game as a neat pass from Jermaine Easter found a lively Billy Bodin in the penalty area.
Bodin hit his shot low and forced a good save from Roche before the Morecambe backline cleared the ball to safety.
Moments later Shrimps striker Shaun Miller had the home sides first real effort of the game as his left footed curled effort was palmed away by Lee Nicholls.
Rovers began to turn the screw just before the half hour mark as a well-worked opportunity fell to Lee Mansell who was initially denied by Barry Roche who tipped his low effort onto the post.
However it was Mansell who had the last laugh as he put Darrell Clarke’s men in the lead minutes later.
Lee Brown was able to pick out a free Jake Gosling on the Rovers left hand side and Lee Mansell fired the Gibraltar International’s low cross home emphatically.
The home side tried to get back into the game and were handed an easy goal on the stroke of half time, Lee Nicholls came charging off of his line allowing Shaun Miller a simple chip into the back of the goal from the edge of the penalty area.
Rovers started the second half very well and were back in front within seconds as Jermaine Easter curled effort was palmed into the path of Billy Bodin who fired home his second goal of the week.
Darrell Clarke’s men opened up a two-goal advantage just before the hour mark as Lee Brown’s low cross from the left hand side was poked post Barry Roche for his second goal of the week.
However, the home side pulled one goal back almost immediately as a long ball through the centre of the pitch was picked up by Tom Barkhuizen who calmly stroked the ball past Nicholls.
Rovers had long spells in possession in the second period without really troubling Roche in what turned into a pretty physical affair. Lee Brown saw a tame strike gathered by the keeper and Billy Bodin saw his long range effort comfortably go over the crossbar.
With just over 10 minutes remaining in the game referee Andy Madley awarded Rovers a penalty when Shrimps skipper Shaun Beeley blocked a Billy Bodin cross with his hands. Substitute Ellis Harrison stepped but and thumped his penalty straight down the middle of the goal giving the keeper no chance.
Referee Andy Madley evened things up with under five minutes to play awarding the home side a penalty following a foul in the box by James Clarke. Morecambe substitute Paul Mullin sent Nicholls the wrong way to reduce the deficit to one goal.
Morecambe threw everything they had at Rovers but the backline held firm to secure Rovers second away win in a week.
Up next for Rovers is back to back games against Wycombe Wanderers as the sides first meet on Tuesday night in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy before meeting again at the Memorial Stadium in SkyBet League Two on Saturday.
Morecambe: Roche; Parrish, Dugdale, Edwards, Beeley (C); Goodall (Kenyon - 70), Fleming; Barkhuizen, Devitt (Mullin - 80), Molyneux (Ellison - 70); Miller.
Unused Substitutes: Thompson (GK), McGowan, Bailey, Ryan.
Rovers: Nicholls; J. Clarke, Lockyer, McChrystal (C), Brown; Gosling, Sinclair, Mansell, Bodin (Leadbitter - 88); Taylor (O. Clarke - 80), Easter (Harrison - 74).
Unused Substitutes: Mildenhall (GK), Parkes, Lines, Montano.