Live Commentary

90 mins

The ref has blown his whistle for full time.

90 mins

Garry Hunter is replaced by Neil Sorvel.

76 mins

Goal!! Chris Holroyd scores for Chester.

73 mins

Goal!! Chester have scored with Kevin Ellison putting it in the back of the net.

72 mins

Morecambe are replacing Michael Twiss with Wayne Curtis.

70 mins

Goal!! Jim Bentley scores for Morecambe.

64 mins

Danny Adams is replaced by Michael Howard.

54 mins

Glenn Rule is replaced by Chris Holroyd.

46 mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 4 v 1.

45 mins

Half time whistle is blown by M Pike

45 mins

Goal!! Carl Baker scores for Morecambe.

45 mins

The referee has booked Kevin Roberts.

44 mins

Craig Stanley is booked for unsporting behaviour.

32 mins

John Murphy is replaced by Simon Yeo.

25 mins

Goal!! Morecambe have scored with Matthew Blinkhorn putting it in the back of the net.

25 mins

Paul Linwood is booked for dissent.

20 mins

Goal!! Gary Thompson scores for Morecambe.

18 mins

Goal!! Jim Bentley scores for Morecambe.

5 mins

Goal!! Kevin Ellison scores for Chester.

0 mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Report

Morecambe clinched their fifth win in six games with a thrilling victory over high-flying Chester City.

In a Boxing Day encounter full of punch the Shrimps came back from an early knockdown to win the game and secure the double over Bobby Williamson's side.

It was a win that delighted Shrimps boss Sammy McIlroy who said he was 'proud' of his players after their second successive victory during the important Christmas period.

He said: "To come back from a goal down against Chester and score five goals was fantastic and the lads have done me proud in recent weeks.

"The quality of our set-pieces was wonderful and although I wasn't too happy with the two late goals we conceded, I can't complain too much."

McIlroy said the victory was made all the more impressive as his side came back from conceding an early goal when the in-form Kevin Ellison swung home a fourth minute free-kick from the edge of the area which flew into the top right-hand corner of Joe Lewis' goal.

Morecambe came back strongly and added three quickfire goals with some wonderful set-pieces.

They levelled on 18 minutes when skipper Jim Bentley reacted sharply in the box to volley home Michael Twiss' deep right-wing corner from an acute angle.

A minute later former Chester man Twiss was the inspiration again with another right-wing corner. This time he whipped a ball in to the near post and Garry Thompson flung himself to head past John Danby.

Despite the warnings Chester failed to react when the Shrimps threw the ball back into the Chester area on 23 minutes. David Artell forced Danby into a neat save with a looping header, but Matt Blinkhorn was perfectly placed to head home his second goal in successive games.

Blinkhorn was denied a second when Paul Linwood cleared his lob off the line, but Morecambe were not to be subdued for long as they scored a fourth on the stroke of half-time.

Yet another Twiss corner caused havoc in the Chester defence and Carl Baker forced the ball over the line after Bentley had been denied.

The visitors started the second half in a much more determined mood and applied the pressure with Morecambe keeper Lewis twice saving superbly from Ellison, before the Shrimps broke quickly and added a fifth on the counter as Bentley headed home Thompson's right-wing cross.

At 5-1 the game was as good as over but once again Chester, to their credit, battled to the death.

They were given a lift when Ellison stroked home a second from the edge of the area on 73 minutes but when substitute Chris Holroyd made it 5-3 with 15 minutes remaining there was panic in the Morecambe defence.

Holroyd was denied a second by the woodwork after a tremendous curling effort, but in the end Morecambe regrouped and held on for victory in a thrilling Boxing Day encounter.

Chester boss Bobby Williamson said his side showed great character in the second half, but admitted that poor defending proved costly.

He fumed: "We can't afford to defend as poorly as we did at set-pieces. I'll be watching the video a few times again and I'll be doing all I can to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Corners

Fouls

Goal attempts

Shots off target

Offsides