Mount scores birthday goal as Chelsea thrash Morecambe

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount scored on his 22nd birthday as Frank Lampard's side eased to a 4-0 victory over fourth-tier Morecambe in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

Mount gave Chelsea an early lead at Stamford Bridge with a fierce shot from 25 yards, leaving Morecambe goalkeeper Mark Halstead with no chance.

Chelsea striker Timo Werner scored his first goal in two months with a simple tap-in from Kai Havertz's knockdown shortly before halftime.

The hosts stepped up their intensity in the second half as Hakim Ziyech threaded a delightful through ball for Callum Hudson-Odoi to score four minutes after the interval.

Havertz added a fourth with a thumping header in the 85th minute as Chelsea claimed their first win in four games in all competitions.

Morecambe had nearly taken a shock lead in the 11th minute when Adam Phillips's swerving cross almost caught Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga out.

Kepa recovered brilliantly to keep the ball from crossing the line before Chelsea's attacking quality proved too much for Morecambe, who were playing their first match since Dec. 26.

Making their first third-round appearance since 2003, Morecambe are recovering from a COVID-19 outbreak at the club which forced captain Sam Lavelle to miss the match.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)