MORECAMBE finally raised some silverware in what has been a disappointing season at Christie Park on Tuesday night - but not without a fight.
It came in the 88th minute of a tense Lancashire FA Marsden Trophy final second leg against Accrington Stanley as 20 players joined in a melee.
The ugly scene was sparked by the latest in a series of fouls on Shrimps' striker Wayne Curtis as he tried to run down the clock.
After he was unceremoniously hacked down from behind by Dean Calcutt, Morecambe full back Dave Perkins charged in to take retribution and all hell broke loose.
It ended with Perkins and Calcutt - who had only been on the field for a matter of minutes as a substitute - being red carded.
But more was fo follow as, in stoppage time, Accrington's Rory Prendergast took what can only be described as a flying kick at Nick Rogan - catching him chest high with his studs - and was immediately sent off the field.
It was a disgraceful end to what had been, largely, a keenly contested but niggle free encounter.
Accrington made the brighter start of the two sides and had the first chance as Lutel James's close range effort was clawed away by Craig Mawson in a goalmouth melee on 16 minutes.
At the other end Danny Carlton was just beaten to a header at the near post and Terry McFlynn saw a cross-shot palmed away for a corner by Jon Kennedy.
But the breakthrough came courtesy of Wayne Curtis in the 20th minute as a corner was half cleared to him on the edge of the box. He took an age to control the ball but, just as it seemed the chance had gone, he crashed his shot through a crowd of players into the net.
The goal steadied Morecambe nerves and for the next 20 minutes they were in total control, with Hunter and Drummond pulling the midfield strings and McFlynn providing the ammunition for Carlton and Curtis.
But the second goal came in bizarre fashion just 20 seconds into the second half as Carlton chased down a ball passed harmlessly back to Kennedy.
The keeper was slow in making his clearance and the ball cannoned off Carlton and rolled straight into the unguarded net.
Morecambe weren't in the comfort zone for long, though, as Stanley stepped it up and pulled it back to 2-1 within four minutes - Paul Mullin turning the ball into Mawson's net from close range after a corner.
Garry Thompson replaced Paul Osborne after 63 minutes and immediately set up the best move of the match - raiding down the right to pull the ball back for McFlynn to shoot.
Kennedy did well to block the goalbound effort and had to be nimble to deny Curtis, Hunter and Carlton as they all had shots before the ball was cleared.
Though Accrington pressed forward more as the game wound down they never created a real goal threat - until it all kicked off as the Shrimps played out time.
MORECAMBE: Mawson, Walmsley, Bentley, Murphy, Perkins, McFlynn (Rogan 80), Osborne (Thompson 63), Drummond, Hunter, Carlton (Sugden 68), Curtis.
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