Morecambe 5-1 Bristol Rovers: Joey Barton calls performance 'rude awakening'

Bristol Rovers fell to their biggest defeat of the season as they conceded five goals against Morecambe

Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton called Bristol Rovers' 5-1 defeat at Morecambe "embarrassing" and a "rude awakening" for his squad.

Morecambe took the lead through Dan Crowley and then scored four second-half goals before Aaron Collins' 90th-minute consolation for Rovers.

The visitors' defeat was their second in a row and leaves them 12th in League One.

"That's not acceptable and all you can do is apologise to them [the fans] - it was embarrassing actually," Barton told BBC Radio Bristol.

"If anyone was in any doubt, today has been another rude awakening about the standard of where our group's at and if we don't improve it we'll no longer be able to keep pace with the teams that are chasing promotion."

New January signings Jarell Quansah and Ellery Balcombe started for Rovers while Grant Ward came on as a substitute, but Barton said the team still needed to bring in "four or five" more players in the final few days of the transfer window if they want to challenge for promotion.

He added that he would like to see the players reimburse the cost of tickets and travel for their fans because of the performance.

"I wouldn't pay you if you turned up and did a job in my house to the standard some of our boys did today," said Barton.

"I'd be chucking you out of the house and never allowing you back in, you certainly wouldn't be getting a pound note off me."

For Derek Adams' Morecambe, it was their fourth successive home win as they moved out of the bottom four into 19th.

The Shrimps took the lead on 20 minutes when debutant Dan Crowley fired a long-range shot past Ellery Balcombe.

Michael Mellon hit the post before Collins almost levelled with a shot that Connor Ripley turned on to the crossbar just before the break.

Two goals in three minutes after the break gave the Shrimps a cushion with Mellon's strike deflecting off Rovers defender James Connolly on 47 minutes.

Two minutes later Crowley teed up Donald Love for his first Morecambe goal and then set up Cole Stockton for a Morecambe fourth with a superb defence-splitting pass on 62 minutes.

Scott Sinclair saw a penalty saved by Ripley a minute later and Morecambe scored a fifth through Adam Mayor two minutes from time.

Collins scored a last-minute consolation on a day to forget for the visitors.

Match details supplied by PA Media.