Stalemate at the Globe

Rotherham United and Morecambe played out a game that fizzled into a draw for the first League game at Morecambe`s new Globe Arena ground this afternoon.

The game began with a minute`s applause for Adam Stansfield of Exeter City who sadly died, aged just thirty-one, earlier this week.

The Millers had the better of the first twenty minutes and Adam Le Fondre went close just six minutes in, after a poor clearance from a Morecambe defender fell to the Millers striker but he pulled his shot just wide. Just a minute later Danny Harrison had a shot that was parried by Barry Roche in the home side`s goal before Kevin Ellison skied high from twelve yards out. The Shrimps first shot at goal was on fifteen minutes but Ryan Cresswell was on hand to clear to safety before Nicky Law blocked an Adam Rundle cross. A few minutes later Andy Warrington made his first save of the match from another Rundle cross and ten minutes after that Warrington was aware when he again saved from Rundle. Before the break Rundle was about to put over, what looked like a perfect cross to Phil Jevons, but Dean Holden made a vital tackle and put the Shrimps player off his stride.

The second half started lively and in the opening minutes, Le Fondre let fly from some twenty yards out and rattled the crossbar and a minute later the home side went down the other end and Rundle hit a ball that went just wide of the post. Jevons nearly scored on fifty minutes but his shot not only cleared the bar but also cleared the stand where the home supporters were stood. Then Tom Elliott should have put the visitors in the lead when Le Fondre put over a perfect cross for the tall striker, on loan from Leeds United, only for Elliott to put the ball just wide as Morecambe`s defenders stood and watched. Roach brought off a good save from an Ellison shot and a minute later Ellison again hit the ball but it went straight into the arms of Roach. On seventy-nine minutes the Shrimps got a corner which Rundle took and found Chris McCready who had a free header but saw his shot come back off the post and go to safety. In the final minute of the game the Millers had a chance to take all three points when a Ryan Cresswell header found Ellison but the former Tranmere man couldn`t get a proper shot at goal.

I`ve seen worse nil-nil`s – but I`ve also seen better and it was certainly nothing for Shakespeare to write home about