Morecambe 3 Hereford 2 THE first half of this match was what football is supposed to be all about - pure entertainment.

Four of the five goals in ten minutes, new signing Phil Eastwood a hat-trick hero, and Morecambe ahead at the end of it - no wonder manager Jim Harvey was happy.

"That first half display was the best I've seen for some time from my lads," he enthused. All that and it was the best atmosphere at Christie Park for some time.

But the performance of the referee Mr Coffey cast a shadow over the match. All but one of his five bookings were unjustified. His two sendings off were a mystery to everyone in the 1,768 crowd but the man in the middle himself.

But first to the glory of Phil Eastwood and his partner in forward planning - this week's record £18,000 signing Justin Jackson. The two strikers caused havoc in the Hereford defence.

After the glory came the pain for Eastwood who was taken to hospital on his way home. He fell badly in the second half and the former Burnley striker attended Blackburn Royal Infirmary for an X-ray on his finger.

His first goal was a header on 14 minutes. A great cross from Takano found Eastwood who made no mistake at the far post. The Bulls equalised with a penalty on 27 minutes which Gavin Williams calmly scored. Andy Farrell was adjudged to have pushed Rob Elmes in the penalty area.

Eastwood very quickly re-established Morecambe's superiority with two goals in two minutes. His second was down to Jackson who collected on the edge of the area, sprinted to the right of the goal past a defender and placed the ball past keeper Quy. Unfortunately for Jackson it rebounded off the inside of the post for Eastwood to slot the ball home into an open net.

The third goal came with another far post header after Darren Lyons floated in a harmless looking cross which found Eastwood unmarked. Hereford equalised almost immediately after Morecambe failed to clear a low free kick. Elmes knocked it home after a goal mouth scramble.

Neither team could produce the same attacking flair and excitement in the second half but there was still drama with Morecambe winger Kenny Takano and Hereford's Matt Clarke sent off for a second bookable offence. Both were unlucky to be booked in the first half. Some off-the-ball incident the rest of us missed was the only possible explanation for the second booking and sending off. It was the first time manger Jim Harvey could remember Takano being sent off in two years.

Team: Banks, Fensome, Wright, McKearney, Farrell, Burns, Drummond, Jackson (Hardy 90), Eastwood (Keeling 90), Takano (sent off).

Att: 1,768.

Morecambe are away to Hednesford on Saturday and at home to Scarborough at 3pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

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