Weymouth 2 MORECAMBE 1
Nationwide Conference

MORECAMBE missed out on a golden chance to cement their spot in the Conference play-offs after turning in a Shrimply awful performance at Weymouth.

From the first whistle until the last, Morecambe - generally so good on their travels - were abysmal and the look of fury on Sammy McIlroy's face at the final whistle gave a hint of his feelings.

"That was unacceptable," stormed the manager after the game, just to remove any possible doubt of what his opinions of what he - and around 200 travelling fans - witnessed.

In simple terms the Shrimps were not at the races on a beautiful sunny day with a playing surface that should have suited their style of play.

Yet two dodgy refereeing decisions were the undoing of Morecambe. Firstly Wayne Curtis appeared to be fouled in the build up to Weymouth's opener while Danny Carlton thought he should have been awarded a penalty seconds before the Terras got their second from the spot.

But that affords an opportunity for excuses when really there was no understandable excuse for such a soporific display against a distinctly average Terras.

The Shrimps were slow out of the blocks. In fact, the only bright spot in those opening few minutes was when referee Andrew Turner, from just down the coast in Devon, fell over the crouching Neil Sorvel while running backwards. You have to laugh at little things on such a miserable afternoon.

Raphael Nade was giving the Morecambe defence a bit of early grief but that appeared to be nothing much to worry about and it was the Shrimps who went closest when Carlton directed a header straight down the throat of keeper Jason Matthews after a smart period of play before defender Tony James headed at Steven Drench.

Garry Hunter was pulling the midfield strings and when he freed Garry Thompson Curtis should have done better, although Matthews saved well.

Then, seven minutes before the break, disaster struck as Weymouth took the lead. Curtis appeared to be fouled by Simon Wetherstone who got away with an ungainly lunge before finding Nade.

The on-loan Carlisle United man nipped inside Danny Adams and crossed for the strangely unmarked Stuart Beavon to nod beyond the horrendously exposed Drench.

Surely that would serve as a wake-up and it did. Just four minutes later the Shrimps were level as Thompson's sweet corner was headed into the danger zone by Jim Bentley and then towards goal by Chris Blackburn before Carlton pounced to nod beyond Matthews.

Before the dust had settled David McNiven hit the woodwork with a lovely curling free-kick from 25 yards and it seemed the Shrimps would prosper after the break.

They didn't.

But they should have been afforded the chance to go in front when McNiven found Carlton and the striker set off towards goal.

He raced on but as Matthews lurched forward Carlton's heels were clipped by the frantic James. Was it in the box or outside the box? Should it be a yellow card or a red one? They were the only question for the referee to answer - or so it seemed. Turner gave a goal-kick much to Morecambe's frustration and their protests hadn't died down 30 seconds later when Adams took the legs of Beavon.

There was little argument over the award of that spot kick and James stepped up to beat Drench - just.

Curtis limped out of the action seconds later with a foot injury to be replaced by Paul Lloyd, who added a little extra to the attacking options.

But passes were going astray and frustration was setting in, no more so than when McNiven screwed a shot wide when he would have expected to do better.

A flurry of substitutions followed, including the introduction of ex-Morecambe loan man Conal Platt, who was immediately kicked up in the air by Ged Brannan.

Neil Sorvel wasted a great chance, while Bentley - at this stage a striker - volleyed wide. It wasn't going to be Morecambe's day.

And it nearly got worse in the second minute of stoppage time when Platt forced a plunging save from Drench.

The clock ran into the fifth minute of the four added minutes as Morecambe pushed with Craig Stanley a driving force and when the final whistle final went he led the pleas for extra moments.

It was one of those days, however, and Morecambe probably wouldn't have scored a leveller if they had played until the sun set over the Dorset moors.