Back in time: The day Morecambe put in a five-star show against Bournemouth

With the League Two season over and local sport starting the journey out of lockdown, we’re continuing our trip back into the archives to look at some past Morecambe matches.
Craig Stanley finds the net for the ShrimpsCraig Stanley finds the net for the Shrimps
Craig Stanley finds the net for the Shrimps

This week, we’re heading back to December 2009 when the Shrimps ran out 5-0 winners against Bournemouth.

This was how DEREK QUINN described the action that afternoon...

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Morecambe boss Sammy McIlroy said he was proud of his players after their stunning demolition job of high-flying Bournemouth at Christie Park on Saturday.

After seeing his side record their biggest-ever Football League win with one of the best performances in years, McIlroy said he couldn’t praise his squad enough as they moved into the play-off spots for the first time this season.

He said: “To beat a side as good as Bournemouth 5-0 was an absolutely fantastic result. It was a superb display and I am so pleased for the lads.

“We knew this was going to be a tough game and we told the lads that they had to get at Bournemouth right from the start and they did just that.

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“Our first three goals were out of this world, and when they got a player sent off before half-time, it made things a bit easier for us.

“The good thing was we kept the ball, passed it around well and scored another two goals in the second half and I’m really proud of all the squad.”

The opening half-hour was a case of fantasy football as the Shrimps gave their supporters a pre-Christmas treat with three world-class goals to stun the visitors who came to Christie Park with the best defensive record in League Two.

Bournemouth goalkeeper Marek Stech, signed on an emergency loan deal from West Ham United on Friday, must have wondered what he had let himself in for as shots rained on him from all angles.

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The Shrimps took the lead on 14 minutes through midfielder Stewart Drummond.

Michael Twiss crossed from the left and Drummond stuck out a leg and directed the ball into the top right-hand corner of the Bournemouth net.

Eight minutes later it was 2-0 when Craig Stanley scored with a stunning volley from the edge of the area that dipped over keeper Stech and under the left-hand side of the crossbar.

And then, as if the Shrimps decided to make it a personal battle for the goal of the season title, they added a third with another top quality strike from Laurence Wilson on 24 minutes.

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The left-back cut inside from the left and curled a wonderful right-footer into the top left-hand corner of Stech’s goal.

Bournemouth threatened to get back into the game briefly but their resistance was over as soon as Marvin Bartley’s frustrations got the better of him as he went in two-footed on Drummond and saw red.

The second half saw the Shrimps show no mercy as they soon added a fourth when Jason Pearce brought down Drummond and Phil Jevons was able to maintain his run of scoring in seven of the last eight games to make it 4-0.

The Shrimps maintained the pressure with Twiss firing into the side netting after a mazy run down the middle before fizzing a shot over the bar from the edge of the area.

But there was time for another goal as substitute Mark Duffy rounded off a superb afternoon for the home side with a wonderful chip in injury time as the Shrimps recorded a record win