Morecambe 3 Dagenham 2

Last updated : 27 August 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Morecambe recorded a dramatic victory with a 94th minute winner from full-back Chris Lane.

It was the summer signing's first goal for his new club and it could not have come at a better time as it halted a poor run of results for last year's Conference runners-up.

The goal came in dramatic circumstances as the Shrimps threw everything forward in a last ditch attempt to seal a much needed three points.

Dagenham only half cleared Adriano Rigoglioso's left-wing corner and Lane volleyed the loose ball into the roof of the net much to the delight of the home fans.

It had all looked extremely rosy for the home side after they took a 2-0 lead in the first half.

Both goals came from teenager Danny Carlton, making his first start of the season. His first came on 19 minutes after some tremendous work from winger Garry Thompson, who burst through the visitors defence and into the penalty area before crossing to the far post and giving Carlton a simple tap-in.

Morecambe then created a host of chances with Dean Howell missing an open goal on 38 minutes and chipping over the bar with only Tony Roberts to beat seven minutes before the break.

But despair turned to delight when Carlton made it 2-0 on the stroke of half time with the coolest of finishes after being put through.

A minute later however and in first-half injury time Dagenham pulled one back when some poor defending allowed Mark Stein to score with a close-range header.

Stein then added a second nine minutes into the second half when another Dave McKearney mistake gifted him possession and he finished smartly from six yards out.

The game then swung from end to end before a controversial sending-off on 64 minutes. For the second season in succession Ashley Vickers saw red at Christie Park for a challenge on Carlton.

Three minutes later Carlton was denied a hat-trick when his header was cleared off the line by Tarkan Mustafa, but try as they might the Shrimps could not bridge the Daggers' defence.

Then with time almost up, Lane struck for a morale-boosting victory for Jim Harvey's side.