MORECAMBE 1,

ALDERSHOT TOWN 0

DEFEAT to Morecambe in their final League Two fixture on Saturday means that Aldershot finish sixth in the table and will play Rotherham in the play-off semi-finals.

Morecambe take fourth position and will meet seventh-placed Dagenham & Redbridge in the other semi-final.

Aldershot host Rotherham in the first leg this Saturday, after Chelsea and Portsmouth have settled things in the FA Cup final. The game kicks off at 6pm and will be shown on Sky Sports.

Dagenham and Morecambe play on Sunday. The second legs will be held next week, with Aldershot playing in Yorkshire on Wednesday (kick-off 7.45pm) and Dagenham and Morecambe following on Thursday.

Saturday's game was an important landmark for Morecambe. Not only did it end 89 years of league football at Christie Park, but Sammy McIlroy's side needed at least a point to guarantee their own place in the play-offs.

The attendance of 5,258 was the fourth highest in the club's history and the biggest for 62 years.

Aldershot needed to avoid losing to make certain of home advantage in the second leg, but they failed in that important objective when Garry Hunter scored for the Shrimps in the 72nd minute.

There might have been a carnival atmosphere in the ground, but Morecambe, who had won six of their last eight matches, were focused on recording a historic win against Aldershot.

Kevin Dillon rang the changes ahead of the play-off matches, giving starts to Kirk Hudson, Louie Soares, Ben Harding and John Halls, and bringing in Dave Winfield for the injured Andy Sandell.

Morecambe, meanwhile, seemed affected by the occasion early on. A weak backpass by Darren Moss let in Damian Spencer, who shot wide. Then Marlon Jackson went close with a header from a Harding corner.

A superb ball from Halls picked out the unmarked Spencer, who made a hash of a free header. At the other end, Morecambe had an even better chance when veteran striker Paul Mullin got on the end of a Craig Stanley cross, only to be denied by Jamie Young's feet.

Spencer continued to get into good positions and eventually got his radar right with a strong header that flew just over the top.

In the second half, Dillon made a bold move when he replaced Hudson with teenager Reece Connolly.

The Shots youth product made a good impression, but Morecambe were working up a head of steam and it was they who made the all-important breakthrough.

Mullin provided a low cross and Hunter slotted the ball home to send the home fans into raptures.

Aldershot sent on Dean Morgan, their most influential player in recent games, but Morecambe were in no mood to surrender their hard-won lead and substitute Will Haining almost scored with a near-post header.

Aldershot, aiming to come through unscathed, were not impressed when Spencer was scythed down by Jim Bentley, who was booked.

A win was perhaps not high on the Aldershot agenda. Whether they will rue having to play away in the second leg next week remains to be seen.

Morecambe: Roche, Moss, Artell, Bentley, Wilson, Parrish, Stanley (Haining 51), Drummond, Duffy, Hunter, Mullin. Subs (not used): Davies, Wainwright, Panther, McLachlan, Curtis, Taylor. Booked: Bentley, Haining.

Aldershot: Young, Blackburn, Brown, Charles, Halls, Winfield, Soares, Harding (D Morgan 74), Hudson (Connolly 60), Spencer, Jackson (Hylton 80). Subs (not used): Clement, Straker, Howell, Donnelly. Booked: Soares.

Referee: Michael Oliver.

Attendance: 5,268 (481 from Aldershot).