A sparkling first half performance from AFC Liverpool wasn’t enough to secure a win against League Two side Morecambe in their final pre-season game. The Reds initially came under pressure from the visitors, but soon weathered the storm as Ryan Cox broke forward and fired a powerful shot forcing the Morecambe goalkeeper to push the ball around the post.

AFC Liverpool, sporting their purple away strip, began to have the better of the attacking play, with Steve Jones the primary playmaker. The Reds forward was unlucky to be denied by a twelfth minute blast which ricocheted around the post.

The Reds netted after twenty minutes. Connor Belger originally took a corner from the right, which found the head of a teammate, but this was deflected back towards Jones who returned the ball out wide to the advancing Belper who sent a superb curling ball from the edge of the 18-yard box beyond Shrimps keeper Tony Thompson.

Francis Barry doubled the lead on thirty-nine minutes in fine style. As Steve Williams was tackled, the ball broke to Barry, who sent a sublime chip over the keeper nestling perfectly in the top corner.

Two minutes later, Morecambe got one goal back through Jack Ryan with a close range strike, after being fed a weighted pass from the right flank. On the stroke of half-time Morecambe had the ball in the net again, but this time Shaun Miller was adjudged to be offside.

Jack Ryan proved to be a clear and present danger for AFC Liverpool as he added his second goal after the break. In the sixty-seventh minute Morecambe were awarded a free kick on the edge of the 18-yard box. The young loanee from Preston North End broke forward as the kick was taken, and executed a perfect diving header into the bottom right corner for the equaliser.

As the game progressed, Morecambe maintained a higher tempo and used their newfound advantage to take the lead with a series of attacks on the break.

Chris Doyle finished a neat move in the seventy-first minute beyond Reds keeper Ryan Jones, who had come on as a substitute. Just three minutes later, the Shrimps netted a fourth through Shaun Miller, who broke free of his marker and fired home around the keeper. Morecambe then capped their comeback with a fifth goal from Jack Kieheler five minutes from time to give a somewhat flattering scoreline to the visitors

Reds manager Paul Moore was happy with his sides workout against higher level opposition, providing an ideal final test prior to Saturday’s league opener against Alsager Town.

AFC Liverpool 2- 5 Morecambe

Post match interview with development coach Iain Baxter and manager Paul Moore.

http://youtu.be/6VSRaNqN_ng