TWO strikes in as many first-half minutes catapulted Latics up to eighth in the League Two table – but they had goalkeeper Daniel Iversen to thank for some heroic stops in the face of a second-half Shrimps onslaught.

Chris O’Grady scored his first goal for the club in 10 years since returning for a second spell in the summer on 27 minutes. And Gevaro Nepomuceno sealed victory with a stunning strike of his own just two minutes later.

Frankie Bunn made one change following Tuesday's draw at Yeovil with Jose Baxter winning his first start of the campaign in place of the injured Ishmael Miller.

Baxter operated just behind lone frontman O'Grady and lasted 63 minutes as he feels his way back to fitness.

Miller's injury isn't thought to be anything serious with the manager explaining afterwards that the big targetman is feeling the pace having been out of the game for a while prior to joining Latics.

In a scrappy opening, both teams took a while to settle with chances few and far between.

Liam Mandeville sent a dangerous free-kick harmlessly over the bar and Nepomuceno's trickery down the left came to nothing before O’Grady opened the scoring.

The striker dispatched with confidence as he connected with a cross from the right to blast past second-choice Shrimps 'keeper Mark Halstead.

Latics doubled their advantage two minutes later when Nepomuceno volleyed home superbly with his left foot as the ball fell to him from the right to send the noisy travelling army of 1,638 into raptures.

Athletic saw out the half comfortably with Iversen making sure Josef Yarney’s header stayed out when he made the first in a series of great saves low to his right.

Jim Bentley's strugglers came more into it after the restart with left-back Luke Conlan a threat down the flank as the home side pushed forward.

It was Conlan who had the first chance of the half when he bent a dangerous shot towards the Athletic goal. Iversen tipped it round his left-hand post.

Morecambe’s opposite full back Zak Mills was next to go close when he sped down the right only to flash an effort across goal and wide.

Bunn’s men - having introduced Sam Graham at right-back at the start of the second half as Rob Hunt pushed forward in place of Branger-Engone - were having to weather a storm in the warm Globe Arena sunshine.

Temperatures – and tempers – were raised when Iversen squared up to Jason Oswell after the Morecambe man appeared to leave a foot in as the keeper came to collect a through ball. Iversen was cautioned for his reaction.

Peter Clarke went into the book a minute later . . . then Christopher Missilou made it three yellow cards in as many minutes as the match became a niggly affair but with the visitors in control.

Athletic almost made it three following an almighty goalmouth scramble on 76 minutes following another cross from the right.

Iversen then took centre stage, firstly producing an impressive stop with seven minutes remaining when A-Jay Leitch-Smith raced through - the big Dane denying what seemed a certain goal.

Latics’ number one was at it again moments later when he somehow managed to get a hand on substitute Kevin Ellison’s point-blank header.

The on-loan Leicester stopper is proving to be a very safe pair of hands behind a defence - marshalled by skipper Peter Clarke - which, on the whole, stood strong, saw out the game and earned a valuable three points.

LATICS (4-4-1-1): Iversen 8, Taylor 7, Edmundson 7, Clarke 7; Branger-Engone (Graham 46, 6) 6, Missilou (Maouche 84) 6, Gardner 7, Nepomuceno 7; Baxter (Lang 63, 6) 7; O’Grady 7. Subs (not used): De La Paz, Benteke, Stott, Hamer. Booked: Iversen, Clarke, Missilou, Gardner.

MORECAMBE: Halstead, Mills, Conlan (Mendes-Gomes 89), Old, Fleming, Oswell (Oliver 72), Yarney, Wildig, Mandeville, Oates (Ellison 79), Leitch-Smith. Subs (not used): Szczepaniak, Kenyon, Hedley, Cranston.

Referee: Martin Coy.

Attendance: 3,050 (1,638 away).