N Forest
|
30 |
Martin
|
On The Bench
Morecambe
|
|
15 |
McLachlan
**
|
|
|
16 |
Howe
*** |
On The Bench
The on-loan Manchester United winger only joined Forest, who have won this competition four times, a matter of hours before kick-off, but wasted little time in making his mark at the City Ground.
Chris Cohen, Robert Earnshaw and Adam Newbold may have scored the goals which sunk the Shrimps but it was Martin's overall performance which provided the main talking point in this one-sided first-round tie.
It was no surprise that the 21-year-old's pace and industry in midfield caused Morecambe all manner of problems right from the off and the Old Trafford starlet was heavily involved in the 14th-minute opener against the League Two side.
Martin was first clumsily bundled over on the edge of the box by Neil Wainwright and then booked by referee Carl Boyeson for taking the resulting free-kick too quickly.
Boyeson ordered a retake and this time up stepped midfielder Cohen to curl the ball low around the wall and across the outstretched Barry Roche from 20 yards.
Prior to Cohen's goal, Arron Davies struck the post with a firm header after meeting Luke Chambers' cross as Forest looked in total control.
Earnshaw then missed two good chances to double the home side's advantage before the interval, with Martin instrumental in creating both, and the Wales international also had two close-range efforts disallowed for offside.
Morecambe improved after the break with Rene Howe proving a handful but the gulf in class between Forest and Sammy McIlroy's men was clear for all to see, and never more so when Earnshaw added a second just after the hour.
The £2.65million summer signing beat the offside trap to latch onto Joe Heath's threaded pass before cooly slotting past the advancing Roche from eight yards to net his first competitive goal since joining from Derby.
Forest went in search of a third and it duly arrived 10 minutes from time as substitute Newbold side-footed home Cohen's drag back from close range to mark his debut with a well-taken goal.
It was left to Earnshaw to complete the scoring in the 88th minute when he held his nerve to beat Roche on a one-on-one after Cohen's raking pass bypassed the now shell-shocked Morecambe defence.
