Brandon United 0 Morecambe 6 NORTHERN League side Brandon United offered little resistance as Morecambe's FA Cup campaign got off to a winning start up in Durham on Saturday. Six goals, two from Dave Leaver, two from Mark Ceraolo, a stunner from Andy Grimshaw and one from John Norman, settled this tie and it could have been more with the home side's defence flapping every time a Shrimp came near. Jim Harvey's men had more or less settled their passage into the second qualifying round by half-time with three of their day's haul.
The travelling fans had to wait until the 21st minute for the opener, a first in a Morecambe shirt for close season signing Dave Leaver who crashed home a rebound from a Dave McKearney shot.
Leaver added his and Morecambe's second seven minutes later when he finished off another loose ball, this time after Justin Jackson had seen his effort saved by Flear in the Brandon net.
Andy Grimshaw won goal of the day for the third, a spectacular overhead kick after the Brandon defenders once again failed to clear an Ian Monk cross.
In the second half, two-goal Leaver made way for the welcome return of Mark Ceraolo and the young striker showed he hasn't lost the golden touch while injured - he scored the fourth with his first touch of the game, a header from a Knowles centre.
John Norman volleyed the fifth and Ceraolo rounded things off against a deflated Brandon team that allowed the Shrimps far too much room to play on the edge of their own area.
Guiseley will be the visitors to Christie Park for the second qualifying round on Saturday Sept 28. TEAM: McIlhargey, Knowles, Annan (Lavelle), West, Rushton, Grimshaw (Sang), Monk, McKearney, Jackson, Norman, Leaver (Ceraolo).
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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