November 8, 2024

Exeter City 3-2 Morecambe: Jay Stansfield hat-trick relegates Shrimps

Morecambe #Morecambe

Jay Stansfield celebrates a goalJay Stansfield was lifted aloft by his teammates after becoming the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the EFL this season

Jay Stansfield’s hat-trick sealed Morecambe’s relegation from League One as he led Exeter City to victory over the Shrimps at St James Park.

Cole Stockton replied soon after following a defensive error, but Stansfield blasted home left-footed from 10 yards after a Morecambe mistake to see Exeter retake the lead, before hitting a right-footed effort from 12 yards for an emotional third to end his time at St James Park in style.

Stockton scored a consolation goal in the last of 14 minutes of stoppage time.

Morecambe were relegated alongside Accrington and Milton Keynes Dons after Cambridge United’s win at Forest Green saw them survive.

Exeter ensured they did not register a club-record seventh successive league defeat as they ended their first season back in League One in 14th place.

Morecambe started well, with Farrend Rawson having a header saved by Jamal Blackman and Daniel Crowley firing just wide from the edge of the box in the opening 15 minutes.

Exeter had more than two thirds of the first-half possession but only had a blocked shot from Demetri Mitchell and a Will Aimson volley from a corner than flew high over the bar to show for it.

Morecambe almost went behind a minute into the second period when Mitchell’s cross deflected off Jacob Bedeau and Connor Ripley did well to save.

Stansfield had an effort blocked a minute before he got the opener, as Sam Nombe picked the ball up on the penalty spot and fed Stansfield on the left who blasted low into the bottom right corner.

Morecambe playerMorecambe had won their previous three matches to give them a chance of survival going into the final day

But Morecambe replied almost immediately as Jensen Weir’s high hopeful ball upfield was allowed to drop by Aimson and Stockton nodded it over Blackman for a gift of a goal.

Nombe blazed over a minute later but Exeter did not have to wait long to go in front as a cross into the box was not dealt with by Morecambe and Stansfield fired home.

The 20-year-old completed his hat-trick when he swept in Josh Key’s cross from the right from 12 yards out to pay an emotional farewell to the Grecians.

Stansfield’s father Adam was a striker at the club and passed away from cancer aged 31, and Jay came through Exeter’s youth ranks before moving to Fulham as a teenager.

There was disbelief at the 14 minutes of added time – Morecambe knew they were going down, having heard about Cambridge’s result.

But Stockton ended with a seventh goal in four games when he smashed into the top corner.

Shrimps fail to repeat last season’s survival heroicsDerek AdamsDerek Adams could not repeat the feat of keeping Morecambe in the third tier this season

Morecambe surprised many when they won promotion to League One through the play-offs at Wembley two years ago, in front of a reduced crowd because of Covid.

The crowds eventually returned. As did boss Derek Adams, having initially left for a short spell with Bradford after taking the Shrimps into the third tier.

Adams worked his magic after his return, keeping Morecambe in League One on the final day of last season when many had tipped them to go straight back down to League Two.

But the realities of competing in a league with some huge names began to bite, with the club being put up for sale by owners Jason Whittingham and Colin Goldring at the start of this campaign.

Whittingham and Goldring stepped down from the board shortly before rugby union side Worcester Warriors – which they also owned – went into administration, resulting in them being suspended from rugby’s Premiership.

Heavyweight champion boxer Tyson Fury was linked with buying the Shrimps before they eventually agreed a takeover with 20-year-old businessman Sarbjot Johal.

As yet, that takeover is yet to go through, but Johal has put “significant” investment into the club to keep it afloat.

His first cash injection came after a delay in wage payments for March, compounding Morecambe’s miserable season on and off the pitch, with survival eventually out of their grasp despite morale-boosting wins against Wycombe and Charlton towards the tail-end of the campaign.

Whether this relegation has an impact on his planned takeover only time will tell.

Line-upsExeter

Formation 3-5-2

18Blackman

27Grounds14Aimson5Hartridge

12Key8Collins15Chauke41Borges7Mitchell

9Stansfield10Nombe

  • 18Blackman
  • 27Grounds
  • 14Aimson
  • 5HartridgeSubstituted forSweeneyat 35’minutesBooked at 77mins
  • 12Key
  • 8Collins
  • 15ChaukeSubstituted forKiteat 62’minutesBooked at 83mins
  • 41BorgesBooked at 72minsSubstituted forCapriceat 74’minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 7MitchellSubstituted forSparkesat 63’minutes
  • 9StansfieldSubstituted forCoxat 74’minutes
  • 10NombeSubstituted forScottat 87’minutes
  • Substitutes

  • 2Caprice
  • 3Sparkes
  • 16Kite
  • 19Cox
  • 21Coley
  • 23Scott
  • 26Sweeney
  • Morecambe

    Formation 4-2-3-1

    1Ripley

    21Cooney16Bedeau5Rawson4Gibson

    22Austerfield15Weir

    7Taylor8Crowley14Gnahoua

    9Stockton

  • 1Ripley
  • 21CooneySubstituted forMayorat 55’minutesBooked at 81mins
  • 16Bedeau
  • 5RawsonSubstituted forShawat 62’minutes
  • 4Gibson
  • 22AusterfieldSubstituted forSimeuat 85’minutes
  • 15WeirBooked at 79mins
  • 7TaylorSubstituted forDelaneyat 44’minutes
  • 8CrowleySubstituted forHunterat 55’minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 14GnahouaSubstituted forNiasseat 45’minutes
  • 9Stockton
  • Substitutes

  • 6Delaney
  • 10Hunter
  • 12Smith
  • 18Niasse
  • 20Shaw
  • 25Mayor
  • 29Simeu
  • Referee:Carl Brook

    Attendance:7,386

    Live Text

  • Match ends, Exeter City 3, Morecambe 2.

  • Second Half ends, Exeter City 3, Morecambe 2.

  • Goal! Exeter City 3, Morecambe 2. Cole Stockton (Morecambe) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Adam Mayor.

  • Attempt blocked. Dynel Simeu (Morecambe) header from the centre of the box is blocked.

  • Foul by Joshua Key (Exeter City).

  • Adam Mayor (Morecambe) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  • Attempt missed. Harry Kite (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Pierce Sweeney.

  • Attempt blocked. Joshua Key (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by James Scott.

  • Attempt saved. Cole Stockton (Morecambe) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Adam Mayor.

  • Attempt blocked. Ashley Hunter (Morecambe) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Adam Mayor.

  • Foul by Sonny Cox (Exeter City).

  • Jacob Bedeau (Morecambe) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Attempt missed. Cole Stockton (Morecambe) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Ashley Hunter with a cross.

  • Attempt missed. Cole Stockton (Morecambe) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Dynel Simeu with a headed pass following a set piece situation.

  • Ashley Hunter (Morecambe) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Jake Caprice (Exeter City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  • Foul by Jake Caprice (Exeter City).

  • Oumar Niasse (Morecambe) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  • Attempt blocked. Archie Collins (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Joshua Key.

  • Foul by James Scott (Exeter City).

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