Hatters in Tatters at Morecambe.

Someone who turned out to be even more Mad than a Hatter (literally – the would-be thief was later Sectioned under the Mental Health Act) attempted to cut down the bronze statue of Morecambe`s most famous son – apparently for its scrap metal content – on the resort`s promenade during October. (The story goes that it was only when he had done the deed that this unfortunate realised – doh! – that he couldn`t actually lift the artwork?) Last Thursday, Eric Morecambe`s repaired image was officially reinstated. Today at the Globe Arena, Eric`s hometown club and his adopted favourites of later years – Luton Town – competed for the first time for the Eric Morecambe Trophy (designed by Graham Ibbeson, who also designed the statue on the prom) as well as three points in League Two.

The home team got their first grip on the new trophy after sixteen minutes when Kevin Ellison headed past Mark Tyler following a centre from Jamie Devitt. It got worse for the visitors when Steve McNulty was booked for a foul on Paul Mullin after 25 minutes and was then dismissed almost immediately afterwards for a further transgression against Morecambe`s goal scorer: he must have been as Mad as Hatter with himself in more ways than one because these moments of stupidity basically handed the game on a plate to the team in red. Just before half time, the Shrimps got two hands on the new trophy as skipper Mark Hughes came from nowhere to head a second goal from Shaun Beeley`s corner.

In the second half, it was virtually one-way traffic and it was only good goalkeeping and last-ditch defending which kept the score down until Padraig Amond belted the ball into the top corner of the net after another corner with just ten minutes left to play. And that`s how it ended.

So Little Eric stays near to Big Eric at least for the time being. Morecambe`s win also pushes Jim Bentley`s team up to tenth position in the League; John Still`s Conference Champions slip to fourth.