A wonder goal from wingman Garry Thompson three minutes from time crowned Morecambe as the comeback kings of the Conference against lowly Farnborough Town on Saturday.

The Fortress Christie Park tag - earned by 10 straight wins for the home side - looked anything but secure as the Conference's basement boys shot into a two-goal lead within half an hour.

But Jim Harvey's men have proved before that they are not short of character and resolve. And so it was again as they struck back for a 3-2 victory which sent a crowd of more than 1,600 home in raptures.

It had seemed unlikely just 60 minutes earlier when Farnborough, without a league win so far this campaign, looked set to spoil Jim Harvey's landmark 500th game in charge of the side after more than nine years as manager.

Striker Ali Chaaban put them ahead with his first effort at goal after just four minutes - running onto a pass from Dewayne Clarke to shoot past Craig Mawson from the edge of the area.

Thompson had a chance to level on 11 minutes but his shot was parried onto the post and away to safety by Town keeper Mark Osborn.

And on the half hour it began to look really bleak for the hosts as Chaaban repeated his earlier trick, beating Mawson again with a shot that crept just inside the post for 2-0.

Shrimps never let their heads drop, though, and simply increased the pressure on the visitors in a bid to turn the game around - a bid that was rewarded as the first half leaked into stoppage time.

Defender Pat Sappleton was adjudged to handle following a Thomspon corner and Adriano Rigoglioso slotted home his second penalty goal of the week to make it 2-1.

It was virtual one-way traffic in the second period as the attacks, free kicks and corners mounted in Morecambe's favour, so there was no real surprise when Wayne Curtis made it 2-2 in the 55th minute, rifling home a shot from the edge of the area after a croner was only half cleared.

Still Morecambe swarmed forward, with big defender Jim Bentley seeing one effort bounce clear off the crossbar, youngster Craig Walmsley and Thompson all going close.

A superb save from Osborn denied Thompson a spectacular winner on 70 minutes but just when it seemed the Shrimps were to be frustrated the winger had the final say - and what a say it was.

Picking the ball up wide on the right, he cut inside two defenders to open up the space and smash a long range effort over the back four and keeper to nestle in the corner of the net for as sweet a goal as he is ever likely to score.

Happy Harvey enthused: "What a finale to a game where the boys put such an effort in... It was the type of quality finish we know Garry is capable of and that is what we want from him on a more regular basis."

MORECAMBE: Mawson, Walmsley, Murphy, Bentley, Perkins, Thompson, Drummond, Stringfellow (Carlton 45), Curtis, Rigoglioso, Sugden (Howell 72).