MISTAKES from Adam Sollitt and David Perkins cost Morecambe dear as they were blown away in a blizzard at Crawley Town.

Keeper Sollitt dropped a cross under pressure to gift Crawley their first goal.

And then, only minutes later, Perkins dallied in his own area minutes later and the Shrimps were downed at the Broadfield Stadium.

A near-600 mile round trip on a Monday night, coupled with the game being screened live on Sky TV, meant Morecambe's Red Army was well reduced in numbers.

And the stay-at-homes may have taken the better option on a freezing night punctuated with snowfall.

When Sollitt spilled Simon Wormall's 27th minute cross at the feet of John Robinson, the ex-Welsh international was never going to miss.

Robinson, 33, was making his debut for Crawley as he comes to the end of an illustrious career.

And, judging by his hairstyle and bonkers orange suntan he wanted to get noticed by the cameras.

The goal was a shock to disjointed Morecambe and things got worse just five minutes later when Perkins chose to try and control the ball when facing his own goal. He lost it and Neil Jenkins could hardly believe his luck as he made it 2-0.

Morecambe had started the game well but without creating anything other than a snapshot from Danny Carlton on 12 minutes and were stunned as they went in 2-0 behind at the break.

The Shrimps, spurred on by Jim Harvey's interval words, tried to get back into the game with Garry Hunter trying his luck a couple of times only to be denied by Phil Smith.

Then, with 12 minutes left, Michael Twiss gave Morecambe a lifeline as he latched onto Garry Thompson's cross to blast home a trademark finish.

But despite pushing hard on the now-snow covered pitch, all Morecambe had to show was an off-target Jimmy Kelly shot and a couple of late corners which Crawley dealt with to move back into second spot in the table.

MORECAMBE: Sollitt, Blackburn, Kempson, Bentley, Perkins, Elam, Thompson, Kelly, Hunter, Carlton (Heard 73), Twiss. Subs not used: Howard, Swan, Rogan, Robinson.