MORECAMBE crashed out of the FA Trophy in heartbreaking manner as three extra-time goals took Stevenage through with an extra gloss they didn't deserve.

The Shrimps, so good away from Christie Park this season, were some people's favourites for the third round replay - but that was always an unwise punt against a side bang in form on their own icy patch.

That said, it took a piece of brilliance from Morecambe's nemesis Steve Morison to sway an enthralling tie in Borough's favour after the Shrimps had bossed the first period and the hosts the second.

Morison, a scorer in Saturday's draw, hit a hat-trick in the Conference meeting back in August and took his tally to five in three against Morecambe with the 95th minute strike that made it home rule.

Poor old Chris Blackburn must be having nightmares about Morison, who was snapped up from Bishops Stortford. Blackburn is a cultured centre back - but Morison has developed the knack of making him appear like a West Lancashire League plodder...and the pair will go head-to-head for a fourth time in the league return on Easter Saturday - hopefully Morison will be suspended.

Morison is a big strong player with a real talent for taking his one chance. He can hold the ball up and afford his team-mates the opportunity to move into support him.

That, at the moment, is what Morecambe miss. Danny Carlton is well on his way back from his long-term knee injury but it would have been folly to risk him on a frozen surface - and so Wayne Curtis is an absentee the Shrimps could do without.

Garry Thompson is not a Morison and late sub Jason Walker has much to prove at this level if he is to make some local predictions that he is worth £250,000-plus come true, unless, of course, those predictions are in Turkish Lira.

That said, after an early scare when Adam Miller slammed a shot against a post with Steven Drench frozen to the spot, Morecambe were miles ahead of Borough during the first period.

Neil Sorvel, one of four midfielders who strangled the life out of Borough to meet Sammy McIlroy's gameplan, sent a dipping 35-yarder wide and then Blackburn had the ball in the net after latching onto a Michael Twiss knockdown from a Ged Brannan free-kick.

The flag went up for offside - but it appeared a harsh decision and Borough's relief was palpable.

Ronnie Henry cleared a Craig Stanley effort off his line and Jim Bentley had decent penalty shouts waved away when Henry clearly checked him at a corner.

Garry Hunter tested Alan Julian with a long-range volley but Blackburn was pick-pocketed by Morison just before the break and Drench saved splendidly to send the sides in at 0-0.

The second-half saw Stevenage come out fighting and a flurry of corners, their first of the game, saw the Shrimps defence under serious pressure as Drench came into his own with some excellent handling and punching when required.

And the keeper really earned his corn when he went full stretch to push away a Mitchell Cole effort that zipped across the now frozen surface through a mass of legs.

Right at the end of normal time Twiss headed over from a chance a player half his size again would have struggled to reach and then chose the wrong option when he passed to no-one rather than taking a pot shot after some nifty feet took him into the box.

As extra-time started the temperature dipped to minus seven degrees but Morecambe appeared the likely winners until a Jon Nurse ball found Morison and he went round Blackburn as though he was a training ground cone before beating Drench with a smart shot.

McIlroy immediately sent on Walker - who was actually stripped and prepared for his role before Morison scored - to try and salvage something.

The Flookborough flyer has a record of scoring - but not at Conference level and made little difference as the Morecambe midfielders had few options.

Miller then escaped a red card for the most incredible dissent to the referee after just being cautioned for dissent - and seconds after that he fed Nurse who ran on to finish for 2-0 as Sorvel was caught ball watching when another sub, Jerome Watt, lost the ball from a midfield free-kick.

That was game over, although the Shrimps did commit men forward believing that a goal would make the last 15 minutes interesting.

Twiss was an ace away and Julian saved marvellously from Bentley, who was scaring the life out of Borough's previously sheltered defence in his role as an emergency striker.

But with so many men forward a counter attack from Stevenage was always going to be a possibility...and Miller skipped clear on 115 minutes to end the match.