FACTS may be facts and statistics are simple - and taking those at face value tells the story that Morecambe suffered another frustrating day at the Christie Park office as they drew 2-2 with Cambridge United.

But facts can be stretched towards fiction and statistics can be manipulated to mean anything as countless Government ministers have done since, well, since statistics were invented.

And to a degree, the 2-2 draw would have raised many an eyebrow around the Conference.

Morecambe have not clicked' at home this season and when they are facing a Cambridge side playing with that invigorated and rough-house spirit that only comes when the fear of relegation into part-time football lurks in your every shadow, you know it will be tough.

And with the talismanic Michael Twiss, Chris Blackburn, Jamie Burns and Fraser McLachlan watching from the stands and Adam Yates, Danny Carlton and Wayne Curtis playing while not fit, it kinds of compounds the problems.

So the last things the Shrimps needed were a bad error from Ged Brannan to gift United the lead and an inspired goalkeeper who must have been promised a better-looking kit if Cambridge didn't lose.

Brannan, never a risk when he has to fill in at centre-half, inexplicably left the ball to allow Daniel Chillingworth the chance to fire Cambridge ahead after 28 minutes. It was a bad mistake from Brannan - but the measure of the man came when he never put a size 10 wrong for the rest of the match.

But to Morecambe's credit they fought back - and then fought back again - to earn a point.

With so many changes and injuries and half-fit players, it was only to be expected that Morecambe would take time to settle and Cambridge seized that chance to take the game to the Shrimps.

Mind you, a couple of long-range early efforts were nothing by way of concern, although there was a scare when the still uneasy Yates was booked for tripping the dangerous Robbie Simpson.

Morecambe soon got into their stride and Garry Hunter's sublime ball found Yates, who in turn found Garry Thompson on the right.

He cut inside and unleashed a corking shot that was a goal all over until Shane Herbert somehow stuck out a stray arm to divert the thunderbolt for a corner. It was a real save of the season' contender - but the keeper with the really bland kit had more tricks up his bluey/grey sleeve for later.

At the other end Steven Drench made a routine save from Courtney Pitt but was powerless to keep out Chillingworth's 28th minute effort after Brannan's faux pass - then, within a minute, the keeper's quick thinking saw him find Craig Stanley. Stanley then curled a fantastic cross into the box only to see Curtis power his free header inches over the top.

Danny Carlton was busy on his return, but the Cambridge defence was tough although he created a nuisance of himself moments into the second half, almost finding space for a chance.

Then Curtis crossed from the left, Pitt half cleared and Neil Sorvel took the ball off the toes of Stanley, who was shaping to volley.

Not to matter, Sorvel found Thompson and his firecracker was turned for a corner by Herbert.

Then a Thompson free kick found Carlton, whose acrobatics deserved a goal - sadly, the ball landed on the roof of the net with Herbert beaten.

You sensed a goal was coming and Carlton thought he had levelled when Carlton's quick feet saw him latch onto Thompson's ball and shoot only to see Herbert manage to get a fingertip or two to the ball and concede the corner.

It was another corner that gave the Shrimps their break as Carlton's whipped in ball was met by the diving Jim Bentley and it was 1-1 and Curtis missed a sitter three minutes later when he blazed wide when he should have looked for a colleague.

Morecambe were the likely winners - but they were rocked on 74 minutes when Curtis conceded a soft free kick on the half-way line and as the ball was delivered Charles Ademeno turned well and slammed past Drench.

Suddenly the Shrimps were in trouble - undeservedly - and they started to throw everything including the kitchen sink, the family silver and next doors cat at United.

McIlroy sent on teenage sub Paul Lloyd to try and force an opening; to offer something different.

Whatever he said to the boy wonder worked. He had been on the field just 41 seconds when he collected the ball in midfield and ran through a strangely stationary defence before planting a 20-yarder out of the reach of Herbert (note to self, get McIlroy to select Lottery numbers).

Cambridge tried to attack and Bentley and Brannan both collected bookings, which rule them out of Saturday's trip to Forest Green, another blow for McIlroy, then Stanley's astute pass put in sub Jerome Watt in stoppage time - but Watt somehow managed to jink and twist...and finally run out of pitch.

So 2-2 it finished, that's a fact...but quite what that statistic means is open to interpretation.

Given the three absentees and the three half-fit players, it may well be a point won come the end of April.