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| Morecambe 2 Daggers 1 |
| Conference Play-Off Semi-Final Second-Leg - 05/05/03 |
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A massive game for both clubs. What was expected to be 90 minutes away for either side was a place in the Play-off Final at Stoke. The Daggers took a 2-1 lead into the tie and named an unchanged side. Morecambe boss Harvey made two straight swaps from Thursday's team.
Both teams were ready for battle and it turned out to be a wonderful game of football with chances at both ends, chances for several people to be heroes and gut-wrenching tension for the fans who could only sing to relieve the nervous energy.
Morecambe started the better and the first half was all theirs. Elam steamed in on a Thompson cross but the angle was against him, and Drummond sidefooted wide when well placed 6 yards out. Curtis missed the best chance when he hit the bar from a couple of yards with everybody beaten. Matthews headed just wide of the far post at the other end and McGrath blasted one high into the bank of home fans.
Two corners at the end of the half saw Janney twice clear off the line to prevent the home side finding level terms in the tie. Curtis was worrying Matthews with his physical ability and Morecambe had most of the play, the Daggers trying for the break on occasions, Mustafa rounding Perkins twice before delivering poor crosses. Stein and West were getting little look-in.
After the last visit to Christie Park, a second half start of some force was expected from the home side. They didn't disappoint and within five minutes they were all square. Goodwin made a poor pass-back to Roberts and he could only put it behind. The corner was headed out to Thompson who crossed. West was the unlucky party as he tried to put it out for another corner, smashing the ball into his own net.
The Daggers seemed to be given a new lease of life after this and really took the game to the home side. West could and should have made amends for himself when Janney got away and pulled it across, West at the back post, a few yards out, unmarked, screwing it well wide of the goal. Heffer came on at right back, giving Mustafa the license to push on, and he got it across for Terry, West and then Stein to all miss the ball with attempted shots. The home defence was creaking with the pressure and the Daggers got a lot of possession in Morecambe's last third. Paul Terry was driving the team forward.
However, it was to be a goal at the other end that came next. On the break, Stringfellow put Rigoglioso away, and with the defence beaten, Roberts couldn't stop him clipping it into the net. Morecambe's crowd went into a frenzy with just 5 minutes left. Paul Terry silenced them within minutes.
The Daggers were still pushing forward. The ball broke to Paul Terry, and with the defence not challenging, he curled it home from about 12 yards into the far bottom corner. The home crowd were absolutely silent in disbelief as the away fans continued their wall of noise. It nearly inspired the winner. Stein managed a neat turn and toe-poked it goalwards. Mawson seemed to have gone down a little early and it looked as if the ball might lob over him. It didn't, he stretched a hand out to push it over.
Golden Goal extra time, and the teams changed ends. It was a very quiet period save for one chance. Stein went through to the left of the goal. He blazed the ball high into the crowd with his left foot. The second period of extra time was all Daggers, playing into their own fans. Broom got the ball from a left wing Shipp cross and as he went to swing at it, he could only tread on it 6 yards out.
Tim Cole went up front as the exhausted West left the field and capped his magnificent defensive display with a similar one up front. Winning every ball in the air, he also managed two curlers from range that went over the bar. He also managed some great control and a lobbed shot from the edge of the box. It was inches away, crashing into the crossbar. Seconds later, Morecambe nearly stole it. Talbot was away, faced only by Roberts. Roberts forced it wide, but Talbot picked up the loose ball. He put it wide of the unguarded net from the side of the box.
There was only one way to separate the sides after two legs and extra time, and the cruellest way of all. Stein scored the first, and Roberts made a marvellous save right in the bottom right corner from Drummond to give the Daggers an advantage. Shipp found the net via the post, but McKearney's almost identical strike came out off the same post. There was to be more drama however. Terry and Matthews were both saved after shooting pretty much down the middle. Stringfellow and Thompson got them back on level terms. The pressure was on Mustafa and he made no mistake with a similar strike to Stein's. Not as much pressure as on Murphy though. Shooting low to Roberts' left, it was saved by the Daggers keeper. The away fans raced the length of the field to mob the players, and both sets of fans applauded each other and shook hands in a wonderful moment for football.
Doncaster were also the winners on penalties, and will meet the Daggers at Stoke's Britannia Stadium on Saturday.
