A STUNNING Michael Twiss goal midway through the second half gave Morecambe an unlikely draw against Division One Blackpool.
The classy striker picked the ball up wide out on the left before turning beyond two defenders and running fully 30 yards to place a pinpoint left foot shot beyond 'keeper Lee Jones and.into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
But for once Twiss was upstaged in a Morecambe shirt - by a young goalkeeper making his first start in Jim Harvey's team.
Scott Davies - a Blackpool fan - made a string of second half saves which kept the Shrimps alive when it seemed that Blackpool would run out easy winners.
In quick succession he denied Scott Vernon, John Murphy and the lively Keigan Parker - Blackpool's best player on the night - by sprawling full length to save when the trio seemed certain to score.
Davies had looked nervous and unsure in a poor first half in which neither team seemed to to able to summon up the energy to score.
He was put under pressure by awkward back passes from home defenders as Blackpool enjoyed the better possession without creating many real openings.
And he was disappointed by the Blackpool goal - beaten at his near post by a glancing header from Murphy following Parker's near post cross.
That was just about the only meaningful action of a dull first half. But how it changed when Colin Hendry sent his men out fired up after the interval.
Davies made the first of his series of saves when Parker beat full back Shaun Gray and cut in from the right to shoot on 48 minutes.
And he single-handedly kept the score to 1-0 with his heroics in a 20 minute spell when Blackpool threatened to run riot.
But Jim Harvey's side never know when to throw in the towel and, with Danny Carlton at his liveliest up front to ease the pressure, they slowly clawed their way back into the game.
Twiss took what few opportunities came his way to show what a class act he can be - and the finest of all came with his 75th minute leveller.
After that the game could have swung either way as both teams went out looking for a winner.
Darran Kempson - who looked imperious at the back throughout - twice dropped long balls into the path of Carlton to chase.
And Morecambe's best move of the match saw Gary Hunter, Jimmy Kelly and Twiss combine to carve an opening for full back Gray cutting in from the left.
But it was Davies again who caught the eye by somehow dropping on a Rory Prendergast header and clawing away another Parker shot when the winger looked certain to score.
MORECAMBE: Davies, Heard, Kempson, Blackburn, Gray, Thompson (Dodgson 45), Stringfellow (Lloyd 70), Kelly, Hunter, Twiss (Smith 90), Carlton.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article