MORECAMBE had to come back from behind three times to end their Shrewsbury hoodoo at Christie Park on Saturday - and that is a good sign for the future.

That's the verdict of manager Jim Harvey after his side refused to let their heads drop in the final game of the Nationwide Conference season.

Behind as early as the seventh minute, they kept their heads and their spirit to earn a 3-3 draw in front of one of the season's biggest crowds of 2,876.

It may not have been enough to reach the play-offs for a second season but it provided plenty of reason for optimism, according to Harvey.

"The performance of the younger players augurs well for the future. What we need to do now is get a bit more quality and experience in the side - and the board are going to back us to do that," he says.

This was the fourth time Morecambe have faced Shrewsbury this season and the first time they have brought anything hut disappointment out of the game.

And it was also just the type of finale to the season needed to keep the home faithful coming back for more as soon as the new campaign comes around.

It looked bleak as Ryan Lowe beat centre back Jim Bentley to the ball and struck a low shot under Craig Mawson to put Shrews ahead on seven minutes.

But it took Morecambe just four minutes to reply to the opener - Ryan Sugden was wrestled to the ground in the penalty area by Dave Ridler and Wayne Curtis converted the resulting spot kick.

Town took the lead for the second time when Mawson was judged to have fouled Sam Aiston in collecting a cross on 23 minutes. Jake Sedgemore made it 2-1 from the penalty spot before the Shrimps had their best spell of the match as they tried to bounce back again.

Sugden and Stewart Drummond both missed the target when they should have made Shrewsbury keeper John Hart work to keep his goal intact, and it wasn't until the 48th minute that the second equaliser came as newly introduced Nick Rogan worked hard to win the ball off Ridler in his own penalty area and then forced it beyond Hart from six yards out.

Veteran Town player manager Jimmy Quinn then scored his third goal of the campaign against Morecambe on 67 minutes to restore the lead at 3-2.

But Curtis scored a picture goal to complete the scoring - picking the ball up on the left and cutting inside his marker to unleash a fierce shot from 25 yards which beat Hart at his near post.

Harvey said: "That was our season wrapped up in one game - a lot of character from the young players and a lot of good football but a lack of quality at certain times."

MORECAMBE: Mawson, Walmlsey, Bentley, Murphy, McKearney, Thompson, Drummond, Hunter, Osborne, Sugden (Rogan 45), Curtis.