Dag & Red 1  Tony Roberts 2  Tim Cole 4  Lee Goodwin 7  Mark Janney 8  Paul Terry 9  Danny Shipp 10  Mark Stein 15  Steve West 17  Lee Matthews 19  Tarkan Mustafa 26  John McGrath Substitutes 5  Mark Smith 6  Steve Heffer 18  Paul Gothard 23  Jason Broom 24  Steve Potts

Goals Stein Drummond Stein (pen)   Stats 6 Goal Attempts 3 3 On Target 0 3 Off Target 2 0 Hit Woodwork 1 6 Corners 2 Cards Yellow Terry Perkins   Curtis   Drummond Red None None

Morecambe Craig Mawson  1 David McKearney  2 James Bentley  5 Stuart Drummond  6 Adriano Rigoglioso  7 Gary Thompson  11 Iain Swan  14 David Perkins  16 Wayne Curtis  21 Lee Elam  23 Lee Collins  29 Substitutes Jamie Murphy  4 Steve McIlhargey  13 Danny Carlton  17 Michael Stringfellow  18 Ryan Zico Black  19

Two teams, respected as football playing sides, but put into the atmosphere of a tense first leg of the playoff semi final, meant it was a battle rather than pretty football. Both sides were back to full strength after resting players after securing playoff places. Vickers and Junior were still absent for the Daggers, Goodwin throw into the fray at unfamiliar left back.

The opening minutes were an attempt to gain the upper hand. Both teams were clearly up for this game and went into it at a fast pace, taking no chances at the back, the ball constantly up in the air. Morecambe were clearly trying to use the threat of Curtis and Rigoglioso up front with their aerial abilities. The Daggers were trying the same with Steve West. Janney was causing a problem with some early crosses from the right, but the first chance meant a goal for the home side.

Terry chipped the ball over the defence and they all stood and watched as Stein went through and unleashed a right foot volley that powered into the top corner of Mawson's net to give the Daggers the lead. The Daggers looked as if they would push for a quick second but there was a scare at the other end.

Drummond received a half hit clearance on the edge of the box and volleyed the ball goalwards only for it to come back off the outside of Roberts' left-hand post. McGrath tried a curler that went wide of the post and some crosses into the box gave the visiting fans a worry, but Morecambe started to come back with sheer weight of physical pressure rather than anything clever, as both sides lacked their usual rhythm and passing. They equalised with half-hour gone.

Thompson beat stand-in left back Goodwin and ran to the by line, he looked up and hammered it across where it seemed to hit Drummond and then Cole in the face and find the back of the net. Curtis almost scored but was offside anyway, and Rigoglioso hammered over the bar with a good chance. West tried to reply with a good strike from the edge of the box which Mawson did well to turn behind.

The second half saw Morecambe going for it but again without much cohesion. They created a lot of pressure on the defence which Cole and Matthews did very well to deal with and restrict the chances that the visitors managed to create. The game was not helped by referee Mr Kettle who gave some very strange decisions that neither side were able to understand. Terry fired a warning shot with a good move, Janney's cross being diverted just wide by the midfielder. Morecambe didn't take the warning and soon after Terry went through. One-on-one, Drummond got back and took the Daggers' player out, escaping with a yellow card. Stein's penalty was just left of centre and found the back of the net.

McGrath fired just wide from the edge of the box after this but was replaced just as he started to come into life. The Daggers started to put the pressure on and had a good period where they could have added to the lead but didn't really create too much. Towards the end, Morecambe came again but didn't create anything and left the Daggers with a single goal lead to take to Christie Park.