THEY came expecting an execution, writes ANDY NEILD.

But by the time Dave Gardner thumped home Morecambe's fifth and decisive spot kick shortly after 10pm last night, the hangman had long since left town.

Steve Wilkes's magnificent Anchormen produced a performance of Herculean proportions to make a nonsense of the four divisions separating these two sides.

The North Western Trains League Second Division minnows twice took the lead in normal time to leave Jim Harvey's Shrimps shellshocked.

And though the Nationwide Conference side foughtback strongly to force extra-time, the Anchormen somehow found the resolve to see out the tie to penalties before suffering the ultimate heartache.

Only the romantics gave Wilkes' side any chance of pulling off an upset before the kick off.

Morecambe, boasting star names like winger Mark Shirley, ex-Blackpool goalkeeper Steve McIlhargey and John Norman, the Conference's 23-goal top scorer, would surely have too much class?

But for what Darwen lacked in skill, they certainly made up for in terms of heart.

And in defender Neil Durkin they had the game's star performer.

Durkin - the footballing equivalent of Phil Tufnell thanks to his liking for cigarettes and alcohol - turned in an ice-cool performance at the heart of the Darwen defence which must have had watching scouts druelling.

Composed when he had time to be, desperate when he needed to be, the 22-year-old stopped the Conference men almost single-handedly at times, especially when the limbs of his team-mates began to tire in extra time. Durkin and his defensive colleagues were stretched to the maximum as Morecambe tore into the Anchormen in the opening 15 minutes.

Dangerman Shirley - a livewire winger in the Marc Overmars mould - forced an early save out of Lee Purvis with a stinging drive and then crossed for Norman who headed wide from six yards. But Darwen brilliantly weathered the storm and took the lead in devastating style after 39 minutes, triggering a scintillating spell of three goals in as many minutes.

Veteran striker Paul Baker burst down the left and swung over a perfect cross which Neil Almond met with a thumping header past McIlhargey into the bottom corner.

The Anchormen were still celebrating when Morecambe hit back within 30 seconds.

Purvis made a mess of a long ball on the edge of his box and Barrie Keeling was left with the simple task of firing into the empty net.

But Darwen were only temporarily stunned and got back in front two minutes later. Almond's deep right-wing cross was flicked across the six-yard box by Baker and, though Steve Lynch missed his kick, Michael Douglas buried a shot past McIlhargey.

Morecambe launched a second half on-slaught and Norman came close with a measured lob which came back off the bar and the same man shot wide from a Kenny Mayers nod down.

But they got back on level terms with 18 minutes left when Shirley's chip was acrobatically cleared off the line by Durkin but Paul Burns hammered home the loose ball.

Mayers and Keeling both missed chances before the game went into extra-time but both sides ran out of steam and ideas in the extra half hour, forcing a dreaded shoot-out.

Dave McKearney struck the bar with Morecambe's first spot kick to give Darwen hope, but Douglas and Durkin both missed as the Anchormen were finally beaten in the most agonising style possible.

Darwen squad: Purvis 8, Bright 8, Cordingley 8, Rose 8, DURKIN 9, Barnes 8, Almond 9, Khan 7, Lynch 8, Baker 8, Douglas 8 Subs: Wilkes 7, Atkinson 7, Curley 7.

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