MORECAMBE don’t need a fixture against Accrington Stanley on Halloween to give them nightmares, their abysmal Football League record against the Reds can do that at any time of the year.

But a visit to the Store First Stadium on fright night was never likely to hold much appeal for the Shrimps against their Lancashire neighbours.

MORE TOP STORIES:

It’s now 15 Football League fixtures between the two sides, who rose through the non-league pyramid together, since 2007/08, and Stanley have won 11 and drawn four of them.

For Stanley the start was a thriller, but it can be put firmly in the horror category for the Shrimps.

First blood went to the Reds on five minutes. Luke Joyce found the excellent John O’Sullivan on the right wing, and he turned inside former Stanley left back Laurence Wilson with a neat piece of skill, before being taken down by Alan Goodall as he looked to jink inside him.

Joyce made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Scott Davies the wrong way.

It was the first goal that the Shrimps had conceded on the road in the league in over 250 minutes, but Joyce’s strike had the London bus effect, and on 11 minutes the visitors’ horror start got worse.

Shay McCartan picked the ball up 40 yards out, and he was allowed to run at goal unopposed and a low drive from 25 yards took a slight deflection and deceived Davies, finding the bottom corner of the net.

Morecambe were looking for a foothold in the game, with Padraig Amond, another former Red, denied a clear run on goal by a Tom Aldred tackle. The Shrimps could have a penalty of their own on 21 minutes, as a long ball sent the young Paul Mullin, rather than the Stanley legend of the same name, through on goal.

Aldred’s desperate tackle looked to bring down Mullin before making contact with the ball, but referee Stephen Martin waved play on.

On the half hour Andy Procter found himself through on goal after a cute flick by McCartan, but Davies was quick off his line and as the two went in for the ball it ricocheted off Procter and dropped wide of the post.

Jesse Joronen was called into action early in the second half, reacting brilliantly to turn Alex Kenyon’s deflected effort from close range over the bar, but the on-loan Fulham keeper injured himself in the process, and had to be replaced by Luke Simpson.

Simpson’s first action was to pick the ball out of the back of the net after he started to come for Shaun Beeley’s cross, but found himself in no man’s land, allowing Mullin a simple headed finish.

Stanley were all at sea after that goal, and Amond was left completely unmarked from a free kick, but could only flick his header over the bar.

Morecambe were putting the pressure on, but they struggled to create chances and test Simpson.

Molyneux did test Davies, however, with a low angled drive from distance that was held by Davies, and then moments later the same player saw a shot turned wide by the keeper when it looked to be creeping in.

From that corner Marcus Carver, on for the hobbling Shay McCartan, saw his header tipped over by Davies. The Shrimps were almost level when Kenyon’s half volley flew over but Stanley had done enough.