SPOT kick star Adam Sollitt earned Morecambe a spot in the last eight of the GLS Cup as Carlisle United were downed on a thrilling night at Christie Park.

The Morecambe keeper stopped three penalties during a shoot out for the last eight after 120 minutes of thrills, spills, misses and skill in the much-maligned competition.

Neither team really wanted the extra game in a competition now on its third name of its inaugural season.

But any apathy disappeared as soon as Football League referee Graham Salisbury blew his whistle and as Shrimps' boss Jim Harvey points out: "When the whistle blows no player wants to lose."

And that commitment carried into the near 1,200 crowd - way more than officials expected - to give a rocking atmosphere.

Craig Farrell shot over after just two minutes as Carlisle, with a stronger side than their team sheet suggested, started well.

But Morecambe were soon in their stride and Darran Kempson crashed a header against a post five minutes later as he rose to meet Danny Carlton's corner.

Then a moment of sheer class from Michael Twiss gave Morecambe the lead. He left two United midfielders stunned as he won the ball and in one movement placed a pass into the stride of Carlton.

Dan the man beat the offside trap before using all his guile to draw keeper Keiren Westwood and shoot home.

Garry Thompson was just off target with a curling shot and Morecambe, aside from the odd scare, appeared to be coasting.

And right on the stroke of half time they would have been on easy street had the coat of paint on a post been a little thinner.

Carlton surged down the left hand side from just inside his own half. He left blue-shirted defenders in his wake before making Brian Shelley look a complete mug as he ghosted through him to unleash his shot.

The fierce and curling right foot effort went across Westwood but stuck the upright and rebounded to safety.

Morecambe were still the better side after the break without creating anything like the amount of chances and were struck by a sucker punch; a sucker punch that shouldn't have been allowed.

Kevin Henderson two-footed Kempson and the ball spun to Brendan McGill to cross from the right for Farrell to shoot home while Morecambe were waiting for the free kick to be awarded.

In fairness, it was probably the only mistake referee Salisbury made all night but it was costly.

Carlisle went for the win and sent on the quicksilver Magno Vieira but Jim Bentley and Kempson were not to be beaten again.

Dan Kirkup did, however, miss a sitter to win it for the Cumbrians two minutes from time, while many mortgages would have been lost on 90 minutes when Twiss broke into the box, one-on-one with Westwood.

The mathematical formula is something like Twiss + one-on-one = goal. But no scientist explained that to Westwood and he made the save of the game to make sure of extra-time.

The 30-minutes were fairly uneventful aside from Carl Ruffer having a 20-minute run out, so the drama of a penalty shoot-out excited the Christie Park audience.

Sollitt brilliantly saved Paul Arneson's effort, while Twiss shot home for Morecambe.

Sollitt saved again from Dan Kirkup but was beaten by Vieira in between Jimmy Kelly's assured Morecambe effort.

Kieron Walmsley missed for the Shrimps but Sollit was the hero again when he stunningly kept McGill's kick out.

That meant Garry Thompson could win it for the Shrimps. Pressure, what pressure? Thompson rolled the ball home and Morecambe were through to play either Worksop Town, Stalybridge Celtic or Halifax Town.

MORECAMBE: Sollitt, Heard (Walmsley 62), Bentley, Kempson, Howard, Thompson, Kelly, Hunter (Stringfellow 82), Elam (Ruffer 98), Carlton, Twiss.

Referee: Graham Salisbury Attendance: 1,195