REVITALISED Morecambe put on one of their best displays of the season against high-flying Hereford at Christie Park on Saturday - and yet almost slid to another home defeat.

It took an injury time volley from substitute Ryan Sugden to rescue a point for the Shrimps after they had battered Graham Turner's United virtually all afternoon.

They rattled the Hereford woodwork three times and saw three valid claims for a penalty turned down in a one-sided second half - yet almost ended up with nothing to show for it.

The never-say-die attitude instilled in his troops by manager Jim Harvey paid off in the end, though, as Sugden pounced to salvage a point in the second minute of stoppage time.

It was at least the fifth or sixth time this season that Morecambe have shown the value of keeping going right to the death by striking in the dying seconds of a game.

It should not have been an issue as the hosts shaded an entertaining first half when there could easily have been a couple of goals at each end and then ran away with the second half in every way except on the scoresheet.

Top scorer Danny Carlton was the first to show for Morecambe, spurning two decent opportunities as he raced onto balls over the head of the Hereford defence in the opening 10 minutes.

AT the other end Mark Beesley shot wide when he had just Mawson to beat, before Shrimps replied and Gary Thompson headed narrowly over the bar.

The deadlock was broken on 27 minutes as defender Michael Rose flighted a free kick in from the right, finding Anwar Uddin free at the far post to toe poke the ball home from close range.

Dave Perkins, restored to the Morecambe line-up after more than a month out, was heavily involved in the leveller just five minutes later - making a trademark surge down the left before centring to where Carlton gleefully stroked his 10th league goal of the campaign.

But it was after the half time interval that Morecambe really stepped up the pace - with Jim Bentley first to rattle keeper Matt Baker's crossbar with a header after 52 minutes.

Hereford defender Rose received his marching orders on 54 minutes for his second bookable offence - a trip on Thompson - and within minutes Stewart Drummond, Sugden and Thompson all saw efforts blocked.

Unbelievably, Hereford went up to the other end of the field and scored, with 77th minute substitute Richard Teesdale making his first kick of the ball decisive - adding the finishing touch as Craig Mawson failed to hold onto a corner kick.

Then it was back to the siege on the visiting goal as the seconds ticked away. And just as the majority in a 2,003 crowd were giving up hope, Sugden volleyed home from close range to make the final score 2-2.

Manager Harvey was happy despite the dropped home pint, saying: " We passed as well today as we have all season and were full of reunning. We just didn't have the luck in front of goal we should have had to wrap the game up."

MORECAMBE: Mawson, Walmlsey, Bentley, Garnett, Perkins, Thompson, String-fellow, Drummond, Howell (Rogan 69), McFlynn (Dodgson 78), Carlton (Sugden 58).