HAVE you ever had one of those days when nothing you do seems to go right - and the harder you try the worse it gets?

That was the story of Morecambe's day in front of a bumper holiday crowd at Christie Park on Monday - and the result was a 0-0 draw against Conference whipping boys Southport.

In a dire first 45 minutes as the Shrimps struggled to throw off the effects of a tough match away at York on Saturday .

The Sandgrounders lacked any real ambition - had they had that extra bit of confidence they could well have taken a shock lead as early as the fourth minute.

Michael Howard was caught in possession just inside his own half by Carl Baker, who sprinted free on goal.

But instead of taking on the shot he tried to find the supporting Steve Pickford and Jim Bentley was able to smother the danger.

Morecambe were making most of the running, even at this stage, but Steve Dickinson, the Southport keeper who was man-of-the-match in a 3-0 drubbing by Morecambe just seven days earlier, was a spectator.

His first real save did not come until the 23rd minute when Garry Thompson played Ged Brannan in down the right and his low cross was met just a yard out by Danny Carlton.

The front-runner flicked the ball goalward and turned to celebrate - but Dickinson appeared from nowhere to smother the effort on the line.

Six minutes later as Matty McGinn was first to meet a looping cross from the right but saw his header flick the wrong side of the Morecambe post and drift out for a goal kick.

And the only other moment to lift the home crowd came on 43 minutes as Southport failed to clear a cross from Jimmy Kelly and Chris Blackburn was allowed to turn and blast his cross-cum-shot just wide.

A Michael Twiss header on 51 minutes saw Dickinson sprawl to save on his line and he had to leap to turn away a rasping drive from Kelly over the bar two minutes later.

Skipper Jim Bentley came as close as anyone twice within a matter of seconds on the hour - first his volley from a corner was turned away by Dickinson and then his header sailed just past the angle of corner and bar with the keeper helpless.

But the best chance fell to Twiss on 64 minutes as Carlton went clear down the right side before squaring the ball to his strike partner with just Dickinson to beat from 12 yards out.

The chance had goal written all over it - but Twiss blasted his shot high into the North Stand. And that summed iup the afternoon.

MORECAMBE: Drench 5 , Hardiker 5, Blackburn 6, Bentley 6, Howard 6, Thompson, 7, Brannan 6, Kelly 6, Curtis 6, Twiss 5 (Lloyd 72, 5), Carlton 8. Subs not used: Kempson, Dodgson, Walmsley, Davies.

Attendance: 2,788

Referee: Mr K Evans (Manchester).