Morecambe 4 Hayes 0

ONE of football's strangest records was brought convincingly to an end at Christie Park on Saturday as Morecambe finally lifted the curse of Hayes.

Since the club from the edge of London reached the conference four seasons ago, both of these sides have won all their away matches against each other.

The opening exchanges were all going Morecambe's way and it took just eight minutes for Jim Harvey's side to open up a lead.

A spirited attempt by Hayes defender Dominic Sterling looked to have cut out a Julian Dowe cross, but rather than trickling away to safety the ball nestled in the corner of his own net.

But victory was painful for Morecambe striker Phil Eastwood, taken to hospital with concussion after being banged on the head by the arm of a visiting defender.

His replacement, Ryan-Zico Black, didn't take long to make an impact. It's difficult not to get over excited about the performances of the young Northern Ireland winger, who impresses more with every experience.

His cross found fellow youngster Gary Thompson whose powerful header gave Morecambe a two goal cushion on 39 minutes.

Any lingering doubts were put to rest only six minutes into the second half. And, as an extra bonus, it was previously struggling striker John Norman who secured the three points.

Norman's performances since his return to Christie Park have failed to live up to those which saw him lead the conference scoring charts during his first Shrimps spell, but his brace in this match can only help his confidence grow.

His first goal showed more than a touch of the old magic, controlling Steve Walters' pass with subtlety before a curled shot left the net bulging.

And his second, with just over ten minutes left on the clock, was a quality free kick from the edge of the area.

Morecambe go into next Saturday's FA Cup tie at Forest Green Rovers on the back of a six game unbeaten run. They will be hoping to make it seven by the time the second round draw is made on Saturday night.