True the home side had won their previous six matches but true promotion contenders have to deal with teams on runs like that.
Due to an injury to Jalal the Football League had deigned to allow us a goalkeeper on short term emergency loan. Czech Marek Stech (with a number of symbols over letters) from West Ham was the unlucky victim all six foot four of him.
Right from the start of the match there appeared to be lethargy in our play. For the first ten minutes or so Morecambe weren't much better and it was as if they were stunned by our lack of energy. That all changed in the fifteenth minute. We did not clear a corner properly and a cross from our right was met by a swing of the left foot by Drummond and the ball flew past the full length Stech's right hand. Morecambe now virtually ran riot and it was only some reasonable defending from Pearce and Garry that prevented a complete rout by half time.
As it was it was three nil as in the twenty-third minute Hollands did not pick up the run of Stanley from midfield onto a good ball and he hit a spectacular shot over Stech and under the bar. Just two minutes later lack of closing down on our right allowed left back Wilson to cut in and curl another fine strike around the despairing Stech. Morecambe more slackened off a bit (they were probably stunned again!) and we started to play a bit. However, things became even worse just before half time as Marvin Bartley was sent off for lunge. From my vantage point it was difficult to see what actually happened but it caused a bit of a fracas. Those who watched the lowlights on the Football League Show confirmed that it was a justified straight red. I could not face watching these as seeing the original was depressing enough. McQuoid (for no particular reason as he was no worse than any of the others) had borne Eddie's wrath by being hauled off in the twenty-seventh minute to be replaced by Igoe.
The second half could only see us try to restore some pride as with only ten men it would be almost impossible to get back into the match especially as we had performed so poorly in the first half. Fletch had been replaced at half time by Connell as with only ten men you cannot carry an immobile object. For a very brief while we held our own but a penalty by Jevons in the fifty-first minute well and truly finished us off. Both sides now played out the rest of the match as it was all a bit meaningless. Feeney was replaced by Partington after sixty-eight minutes, no doubt to provide a bit more strength and to give him some match time. In the last minute another spectacular goal made the journey home even more miserable. Cummings dived in too early and allowed Duffy to chip Stech from the edge of the box.
I usually end my report with a summary of some of the performances of our players. There is no point in this case as more than one crap in a report is too many.
Man of the match (a case of pity really) goes to Stech as he did nothing wrong. If Jalal does not recover before the next match then we may need another emergency loan as I cannot see Stech wanting to have another game for us and West Ham might worry about him picking up a back injury. The only good thing about the match was that Morecambe scored four wonder goals which the fair minded AFCB fans would acknowledge and hence Stech's lack of blame.
Oh well at least there was an excuse for visiting a couple of very good pubs in Lancaster whilst waiting for our connection on the way back south.
AFCB: Stech, Bradbury, Garry, Pearce, Cummings, Feeney, Hollands, McQuoid, Bartley, Fletcher, Pitman
Subs: Goulding, Igoe (on for McQuoid, 27 mins), Connell (for Fletcher, HT), Partington (for Feeney, 68 mins)
Phil Nesbitt, Acocks Green