A cracking game of football, which we just about deserved to win. I think the some of the comments above are a bit harsh on Rovers. Morecambe are a decent side, in good form, and played some enterprising football today, but we created the better opportunities over ninety minutes and probably deserved the points. As Sparky says, the midfield backed off Oates for the first goal, which I thought Scott should probably have kept out, but in general I did not think we defended badly, despite the scoreline. I thought it was more a case of two confident teams with decent attacking players really having a go at each other.
We started really brightly and should have been a couple of goals up after twenty minutes, their keeper making two great saves from Mullin. However, we were then sucker punched for the equaliser and never really regained control of the game in the first half, despite retaking the lead. Once we scored the third goal we had several opportunities to kill the game completely, but to give credit to Morecambe they found a second wind and we had a torrid spell of ten to fifteen minutes when, as ONIGP says, it looked like the game would slip away from us. Fortunately, up stepped Zoum and Gilmour.
Individually, Gilmour will deservedly get the plaudits after two assists and a goal, but I thought Smith was equally good and led their back four a merry dance at times. I thought Mullin was excellent as well, led the line superbly in a difficult role despite getting nothing out of the referee all afternoon. It was a pity he did not get a goal after several good efforts on target, but I suppose that is the difference between him and Norwood and the reason James will (harshly) take his place again on Friday. I could not see Cole Stockton putting in a performance like that played up front on his own, albeit the 451 system is working well because Smith, Gilmour and Banks are all willing to get up in support of the front man. I also thought Zoum was brilliant today, with two assists; he had clearly taken a knock in the closing stages yet still found the energy to bomb fifty yards down the line and set up the winner for Gilmour.
The only negative for me was the performance of DMH. He offered nothing again today, and it is frustrating that we have to keep including him in squads and giving him time on the pitch, purely for financial reasons. I would rather Cole or Tollitt had come off the bench this afternoon.
Into the play-off positions and a winnable game coming up at Prenton Park on Friday. It is a good time to be a Rovers fan.