You`ll NEVER beat the Stanley!

For most people, Easter means eggs, a break from work or school; day trips; religion – whatever floats their boat. For Morecambe supporters, though, there is often an added ingredient: a local derby against Accrington Stanley. And – whether they have given anything up for Lent or not – they suffer for their real or imagined sins because the team from East Lancashire invariably win. “You`ll never beat the Stanley!” yell the Stanley fans en masse season after season after season, as well they might.
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On Good Friday, Morecambe tried for the fifteenth time in their Football League history to beat a team managed by one of their own legends, the club`s all-time top scorer, John Coleman (pictured above).

This wasn`t the only overlap between the two clubs. One of Jim Bentley`s dilemmas before the game was – in the continued absence of regular goalkeeper Barry Roche – which player to put between the sticks. Ideally, he probably wanted Scott Davies – who has had two spells at the seaside club, most recently on loan earlier this season – to take the position. But Scott was playing for the opposition today. So it was a question of whether on-loan Liverpool player Danny Ward or second choice goalkeeper Andreas Arestidou got the gig today: Big Jim went with the loanee.

During several recent Stanley victories, Laurence Wilson has played a pivotal part for the winning team. Today, he was back in the Morecambe ranks for his second spell for the club. For both Coleman and Wilson, there was evidence during what was to ensue that there was unfinished business as far as their former employers were concerned.

Accrington started the better. Kal Naismith brought a good save from Ward after just three minutes. Almost immediately afterwards, Shrimps` Captain Mark Hughes did brilliantly to clear a goal-bound shot from Shay McCartan which had already beaten Ward. Morecambe`s first shot on goal came with almost a quarter of an hour played – Davies pushed a shot from Redshaw away for a corner. About ten minutes later, Jamie Devitt had an excellent chance to open the scoring but his wild shot was way off target. He redeemed himself somewhat after 24 minutes when his corner was met by Ryan Edwards` head only for Kevin Ellison to deflect it past a stranded Davies to give Morecambe the lead.

The lead didn`t last long. Virtually straight from kick-off, Lloyd Jones appeared to be trying to cross the ball for Stanley from about 35 yards out. Whether he was or not, the ball completely eluded Ward and ended-up in the back of the Shrimps` net: it was not the Liverpool player`s finest hour.

Two of that city`s best-known sons didn`t cover themselves with glory either with half an hour gone: Messrs Bentley and Coleman had what appeared to be a frank exchange of views on the touchline which ended when Morecambe`s goalkeeping coach Lee Jones intervened and appeared to push the Accrington Manager, who wasn`t best pleased. Referee Eddie Ilderton sent them both to the stands for the rest of the game.

On the field, what has frequently been a feisty encounter in the past carried on in this vein when Terry Gornall committed an appalling foul on former team-mate Wilson after forty minutes. Even Gornall`s team-mates didn`t remonstrate with the referee when the inevitable red card was produced by Mr Ilderton.

So the second half started with the visitor`s Manager in the stands and only ten men in yellow on the field. If Morecambe were ever to get the Accrington monkey off their backs, this was surely the time. The Shrimps – with old stager Ellison using means both foul and fair – tried to take the game to the old enemy. And when the referee awarded a penalty against Matt Crooks for a very questionable foul on Ellison, the football gods seemed to be smiling on the hosts. But Wilson obligingly put the resulting spot kick over the bar. After this, the ten men of Stanley played the better, more attacking football for much of the rest of the game.

So nothing changes.The clocks go forward. Lent ends. And Morecambe fail to beat Accrington Stanley for the fifteenth time in the League despite having one man more for over half of the game and being gifted a penalty into the bargain. So who can doubt what Stanley`s `Ultras` have been chanting for nearly ten years: `You`ll NEVER beat the Stanley!”

Morecambe found themselves in thirteenth position in League Two at the end of the game; Accrington were four positions and three points worse off.