Morecambe made it a Lancashire Wembley double as they edged past Tranmere at the Mazuma Stadium

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Tipped for a relegation battle, Morecambe are now one game away from a League One promotion for the first time in their history after edging past Tranmere.

The Shrimps have defied the odds throughout the campaign and the return of fans to their home ground was the icing on the cake for Derek Adams and his squad who will spend bank holiday Monday in the capital.

After taking a 2-1 lead back to the Mazuma Stadium from the first leg, Morecambe looked to put the game to bed quickly and Aaron Wildig duly delivered with a fantastic first-time finish to open the scoring.

Around 1,500 Morecambe fans were in attendance and they burst into life as their side continued to dominate proceedings in the first half, despite Tranmere being the ones chasing the game on aggregate.

Whether it be Sam Lavelle making a solid challenge in a dangerous area or Carlos Mendes Gomes showcasing his pace and skill to beat his marker, Morecambe were on it for every second of the first half.

It was clear that something had to change for Tranmere who were passive and predictable in the first half, with next to no movement off the ball meaning much of their possession was static and sideways through Jay Spearing.

Liam Feeney played in the hole behind the striker but his talents out wide are there for all to see from his time at Blackpool and beyond in his successful career, yet it took until the second half for him to be placed in his best position.

David Nugent and Otis Khan’s introduction at half time clearly fired up the visitors who added a directness and intensity to their play that shadowed their first half efforts and it paid off with James Vaughan levelling things up.

From there the game swayed from team to team in terms of control but towards the back end of the match Tranmere were in charge as they desperately sought out a goal that would take the game to extra time.

Yet, as has been the case for a fair few of their recent fixtures, they lacked a dynamism to their play, with a one-dimensional approach being relatively swept up by Morecambe’s stubborn backline.

And then came the roar on the final whistle.

Sheer disbelief in all four corners of the Mazuma Stadium as fans who had not seen their team in the flesh this season could finally show an outpouring of emotion and admiration for a side that have taken their club to the highest position in their history.

It really hit home to a squad that have been humble and hard working throughout just how much this victory meant to the town of Morecambe and to the county of Lancashire.

To go from non-league obscurity to the brink of a place in League One is something Fleetwood down the road have done in recent teams but with Morecambe having a much smaller budget in comparison, this is even more of a miracle.

There is a staunch and defiant fanbase following the club and a vast mix of generations in the stands, for the older generation they would never have thought they would see a day like this.

For the younger generation, they have seen their club progress year upon year and in Derek Adams they have a manager who knows how to galvanise a squad to achieve the very maximum ability they have.

Following the remarkable second leg at Forest Green, Newport will be the team Morecambe face as they travel to London on the final playoff day and they match up in quite an even manner.

Both are happy to play the ball on the floor when required but opt for a direct, driven approach and seek to hold up the ball well to feed others into play.

Newport perhaps have experience on top of that unlike Morecambe but there is a professionalism and relentlessness about this Shrimps side that feels like promotion is made for them this year.

They have everything in that team to overcome another tough test and they have passed every other test this season with flying colours.

It will be one of the greatest stories in Lancashire football history if they can take that final step and you would not bet against them.

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