Dag & Red 1  Tony Roberts 5  Mark Smith 6  Steve Heffer 7  Mark Janney 9  Danny Shipp 14  Danny Hill 15  Steve West 17  Lee Matthews 19  Gary Fletcher 23  Paul Mayo 24  Steve Potts Substitutes 12  Steve Perkins 13  Junior 16  John Keeling 18  Paul Gothard 20  Mark Rooney

Goals West Rigoglioso Stats 16 Goal Attempts 5 7 On Target 2 8 Off Target 3 1 Hit Woodwork 0 10 Corners 1 Cards Yellow Heffer Thompson   Carlton Red None None

Morecambe Craig Mawson  1 David McKearney  2 Lee Colkin  3 Stewart Drummond  6 Adriano Rigoglioso  7 Gary Thompson  11 Neil Uberschar  12 Iain Swan  14 Wayne Curtis  21 Lee Elam  23 Keith Hill  24 Substitutes Andy Gouck  8 Danny Carlton  17 Nick Rogan  20 Perry Taylor  25

The Daggers again made changes to the side for this game, not all of them forced. Paul Terry, who was injured, was replaced by Steve Heffer who was good throughout and showed why he had been missed. Loan signings Gary Fletcher and Paul Mayo replaced the suspended Mark Stein, and John Keeling respectively.

The first half was little of a spectacle and saw chances at both ends. However, Morecambe drew first blood as the Daggers defence again gave their visitors a gift. A free-kick was given deep in the Morecambe half. As the Daggers jogged back, Colkin launched the ball the length and width of the pitch and Matthews was caught nowhere as Thompson came in to cross for the unmarked Rigoglioso to tap home from close range.

The Daggers had chances at the other end though, as Mark Janney crossed for Steve West, whose header seemed destined for the top corner only for a great backpeddling save from Mawson. Both sides had one other big chance each before half time. Curtis went through and a great Roberts save at his near post stopped the goal. Curtis got it back across goal and it was passed to Thompson who missed a gaping goal from a few yards. For the Daggers, Fletcher had a penalty appeal after Mayo's over-hit cross beat everyone, and Colkin ,who had fallen over, tripped Fletcher to stop him getting to the ball.

Danny Hill then found Shipp in the box with a fantastic pass. The Daggers' midfielder toe-ended it for Mawson to save whilst rushing out, and then new-boy Mayo lashed the rebound against a defender. It broke to the other new-boy Fletcher, who had the simplest of tasks to tap in, only to reel away in celebration to see a linesman's raised flag which was by no means clear cut. Earlier, Janney's marauding run had ended with a left-foot shot wide of the target.

After recent second half performances in which the standard had dropped, more of the same was expected. However, the Daggers came out of the blocks with superb determination, guile and team effort. Almost the whole half was spent in the Morecambe final third as the Daggers really put on a great show which left you wondering just how they didn't win by at least 3 or 4.

The two loan signings had good second halves, and it was Fletcher who almost created a goal as he won a ball from the defender and put it across the face of goal where West just couldn't get a touch after throwing hiself at the ball. Mark Janney then received a cross and slammed the ball against the post, which ricocheted against the back of Mawson and somehow went out for a corner. Lee Matthews then had a shot blocked by a defender which looked destined for goal.

West then got on the end of another right sided cross and took a touch which meant he couldn't get a shot away. He also met a pull back from the right in acres of space only 12 yards out and put the ball over the bar. He also fired a free-kick wide of the goal.

However, it was Steve West who got the equalising goal, and it was clear just how much it meant to him as he went absolutely mad in a flurry of screamed 'come on's. Paul Mayo did vey well down the left and put in a pin-point cross to the near post where West met it with a thumping header into the far bottom corner of the goal to get the Daggers back in the game

Mayo then met a right wing cross at the back post with a header which he put just wide of the target. The Daggers should also have had a penalty after a second appeal of the game, as a defender met a cross with a mixture of stomach and arm, but the referee only saw the stomach. Junior then came on for the Daggers, and immediately shook off the defender to shoot at the keeper from the edge of the box. Towards the end he also had a good chance but the ball wouldn't run through for him and the defender caught up to block the shot. Junior also set up Fletcher who stretched to poke the ball to the keeper.

So, a very impressive second half display in which the Daggers didn't quite take their chances, but it was much more encouraging for the Victoria Road faithful.