James McClean and Paul Mullin each grabbed a goal and an assist to inspire Wrexham to a comeback win against ten-man Morecambe at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.
Gerard Garner gave the Shrimps an early lead, but McClean levelled the scores before the break. Max Melbourne was sent off for a second bookable offence, before Mullin scored from the penalty spot and substitute Steven Fletcher headed in Wrexham’s third.
Wrexham were unchanged from last weekend’s 4-0 win against Accrington Stanley, with Ollie Palmer starting alongside hat-trick hero Mullin up front.
Morecambe were in front with the first meaningful attack of the game, however. A slight defensive mix-up between Eoghan O’Connell and Arthur Okonkwo saw the ball deflect wide for Garner, who cut inside onto his left foot and finished low inside the near post.
Wrexham wanted a penalty on 23 minutes, when McClean ran onto Ollie Palmer’s pass and was tripped by Jacob Bedeau in the area, but referee Thomas Parsons turned down the appeal.
The Red Dragons were level on 32 minutes, however, when Mullin pounced on a mis-hit backpass. The striker ran into the area, looked up and squared for McClean to slam the ball home.
Mullin was the provider again on 35 minutes, backheeling to Andy Cannon after Jacob Mendy’s deep cross was only half-cleared, but the midfielder shot high and wide on his left foot.
A minute later, Mullin spun and steadied himself on the muddy surface before shooting low, but Archie Mair saved well to his left, and then denied Ryan Barnett from the rebound with his legs.
With Wrexham rallying, Elliot Lee was then fouled on the edged of the area, but Mullin’s free-kick from the angle was over the wall and well over the bar.
At his former home ground, Mullin was proving a handful and his lob back across goal, from McClean’s cross-field pass in the 43rd minute, dropped just wide of the far post.
The half-time interval did nothing to stem Wrexham’s momentum, and the Red Dragons flew out the traps in the second-half.
Max Cleworth headed over from Elliot Lee’s corner on 47 minutes, and a minute later Andy Cannon unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area which Archie Mair beat clear.
Palmer outpaced Melbourne to run onto Barnett’s hopeful through ball in the 49th minute and when the defender – already on a booking – tripped him, the referee produced a second yellow and sent him off.
Morecambe’s response was to bring David Tutonda on for Joe Adams, but his first act was to raise an arm to block Lee’s shot at point-blank range in the area on 54 minutes.
Parsons this time gave the penalty, and Mullin stepped up to coolly side-foot the ball into the bottom corner in front of the away fans.
Mullin went close again on 66 minutes, when Barnett headed Mendy’s deep cross back across goal, but Mair turned his hooked shot wide at the near post.
Morecambe substitute Jordy Hiwula found an opening on 68 minutes, but shot high and wide, and Okonkwo then got down well to turn Bedeau’s header wide in the 74th minute.
Palmer was replaced by Fletcher in the 76th minute to a rousing reception from the away fans, before Andy Cannon twice had efforts from long range – one that missed the target, and one that deflected wide.
From the second, McClean received the subsequent corner shot and delivered a fantastic cross for Fletcher to head in on 80 minutes.
Mullin and McClean were replaced by Jack Marriott and Luke Young for the final few minutes. There was still time for Lee to have another sight at goal, after good link-up with Fletcher, but he shot well off target.
Nevertheless, Wrexham were able to celebrate an important away win in front of more than 1,600 travelling fans, before the forthcoming back-to-back home games against Harrogate and Tranmere.
Line-ups:
Morecambe: Mair, Senior, Stokes, Bedeau, Melbourne, Songo’o (Davenport 60), Khumbeni, Edwards (Brown 80), Adams (Tutonda 52), Slew, Garner (Hiwula 60)
Subs: Smith (G/K), Larsson, Harrack
Wrexham: Okonkwo, Cleworth, O’Connell, Boyle, Barnett, Cannon, Lee, McClean (Young 88), Mendy, Mullin (Marriott 88), Palmer (Fletcher 76)
Subs: Howard (G/K), Tozer, Bolton, Davies
Referee: Thomas Parsons
Attendance: 5,166 (1,668 away)
Bookings
Morecambe: Melbourne (39, foul), Songo’o (42, foul)
Wrexham: Barnett (90+6, foul)
Sent Off
Morecambe: Melbourne (49, second bookable offence)
