Forest Green Rovers 1 MORECAMBE 3 Adversity can bring the best out or the worst out of a football team - a team can crumble under the pressure or it can make them pull together and rise high.

Some teams meekly roll over, others dig deep and find reserves to stand proud. And as Morecambe faced their most unpleasant test of this enthralling Conference season, the players and supporters got behind Sammy McIlroy and Mark Lillis to create an unbreakable force to let the football do the talking at Forest Green.

Jim Harvey wanted nothing more than to put one over his former employers and three ex-Shrimps in the Rovers line-up also guaranteed a tough and uncomfortable afternoon.

If that wasn't enough to tilt the balance in Harvey's favour, Morecambe had to make do without born leaders Jim Bentley and Ged Brannan through suspension and Chris Blackburn and playmaker Michael Twiss through injury.

The half-built new stadium and horrible playing surface added to the mix - but Sammy's Shrimps pulled together to earn a vital win that meant much more than the three points on offer.

Poisonous vitriol poured down towards McIlroy from the stands throughout - and in the opening stages it appeared Morecambe were set for a grim afternoon in the land of big tractors.

They fell behind to a freak goal on 10 minutes when a hopeful Alex Lawless punt from 45 yards took the most wicked and cruel of bounces to confuse Steven Drench and fly into the net as Rovers capitalised on Morecambe's early uncertainty.

By that stage Drench had already saved well from Kevin Nicholson and Simon Clist, while Clist had hit the crossbar and shortly after the goal the keeper saved marvellously as Les Afful went through one-on-one.

Morecambe couldn't get the ball and when they did Craig Stanley was booked for throwing it at the head of Michael Brough, who had dived theatrically to win a free-kick.

Suffice to say, the game wasn't going quite to plan!

But the travelling fans, crowded into an unfinished open terrace behind the dug-outs, started to encourage and suddenly the Shrimps sprung into life.

Centre halves Danny Meadowcroft and Danny Adams - more on him later - formed an impassable force and with wonderful vision Neil Sorvel found Danny Carlton, who in turn swept the ball wide to Garry Thompson.

Thompson crossed, ex-Morecambe keeper Ryan Robinson flapped at the ball and Paul Lloyd pounced in a flash to level - it was 1-1 from the first Shrimps attack and the tide had turned with 23 minutes played.

Morecambe started to exert their authority over Rovers as an anxious-looking Harvey chewed on a cigar - and he must have come close to swallowing it when Robinson atoned for his blunder on 35 minutes to save splendidly from Stanley's effort.

But a minute later the keeper was helpless as the Shrimps went in front. The majestic Thompson roared down the right and managed to cross despite being in a patch of pitch that wouldn't have looked out of place at the end of a pier with a couple of bikini-clad girls wrestling in it.

As the ball came over Carlton timed his leap to perfection and planted a lovely header home. The goal was a thing of beauty on an at times ugly afternoon.

Adriano Rigoglioso flashed a shot wide in a rare Rovers raid before Robinson again saved well to push Lloyd's shot away in first-half stoppage time.

The keeper really earned his money just after the break with a great save. Michael Howard's long ball was perfect for Carlton, who went past John Hardiker as though he wasn't there and crossed for Lloyd, who met the ball well five yards out. Somehow Robinson blocked the shot.

Thompson then hit the post with a wicked free-kick before Harvey made all three of his substitutions in the space of seven minutes: his team were on the rack and but for Robinson would have been on the end of a hammering.

An almighty scramble almost led to another Morecambe goal as Carlton, Lloyd and Curtis tried and failed to connect as the ball stuck in the penalty area mud before Drench reacted superbly to race from his line and clear from Danny Carey-Bertram as the striker chased Rigoglioso's through ball.

Robinson then saved from Curtis before Stanley cheekily pinched the ball from the keeper's hands as he was about to take a goal kick. Luckily he didn't see red despite Forest Green's unsporting pleas to the referee to take action.

Rovers then launched into a frantic surge and Paul Stonehouse hit the bar - but the magnificent Adams, tough-looking, tough tackling and immense throughout, was in charge of the Morecambe defence and an equaliser never looked likely.

A third Morecambe goal did, however, appear on the cards and two minutes from time Lloyd robbed Rigoglioso and found Thompson out towards the left and 30 yards from goal.

His finish was stunning as the ball arced away from Robinson and into the net - brilliant, even though the celebrations upset the whining pro-Harvey voices in the home section.

Perhaps it is time for some people to move on, the Shrimps certainly have. Job done.