MORECAMBE clinched their highest ever league position with some ease and a certain amount of swagger too against hapless Burton at Christie Park.

More than 2,200 fans turned out to cheer their favourites towards the Nationwide Conference play-offs. And few could have left disappointed as the Shrimps turned on one of their best displays of the season.

Not even heavy rain which swept in across the park could dampen the party atmosphere after Lee Elam gave Morecambe just the tonic they needed to banish any last lingering thoughts of failure a goal after five minutes.

And though Burton gave it their best shot for manager Nigel Clough for a short spell, there was no doubt about the outcome. And in the end, only the heroics of visiting keeper Matt Duke kept the scoreline respectable.

His first call to arms came even before the opening goal, saving at the feet of Morecambe's 17-goal top scorer Wayne Curtis.

But it was man-of-the-match Gary Thompson who provided the assist for Elam's strike raiding down the right to pull the ball back from the by-line and give the midfielder a virtual tap in from six yards out.

It was the first of many mazy runs from Thompson as he teased the Albion defenders all afternoon, though there were a few worried for the hosts in the next few minutes.

Both Christian Moore and Aaron Webster could have levelled matters before Wayne Curtis raced in to steal his 18th goal of a productive campaign latching onto a misplaced back-header from defender Terry Henshaw and slotting the ball into an empty net.

Duke and defender Paul Talbot both made goal-line clearances before Jim Bentley stole up from the back to make it 3-0 after 39 minutes.

He met a Ryan-Zico Black left wing cross at the far post and looped his header back across goal and into the top corner away from the diving Duke.

At this stage it was virtual one-way traffic and Albion couldn't wait for the half time whistle for some much-needed respite and that was how it proved.

Jim Harvey's men took their foot off the pedal in the second period, preferring to play keep-ball and save their energy for more important battles ahead for the most part.

Harvey took the opportunity to throw Danny Carlton into the fray for the first time in weeks, replacing Curtis on the hour and proving a lively understudy as he fought to create an impression.

On 80 minutes he almost got his reward becoming the latest to be denied by a sprawling save from Duke but Thompson followed up to fire a volley into the roof of the net for 4-0.

And minutes later the also created the fifth and final score with a darting run into the penalty area that was only ended by Duke's foul challenge. Black stepped up to nonchalantly slide home the spot kick.

MORECAMBE: Mawson, McKearney (Morgan 75), Bentley, Swan, Perkins, Thompson (Stringfellow 81), Drummond, Collins, Elam, Curtis (Carlton (60), Black. Subs not used: Murphy, Talbot.

May 1, 2003 09:30