A WONDER goal from Rene Howe earned Morecambe a thrilling Good Friday victory over Bradford.

In front of the Shrimps' biggest crowd of the season, Howe ensured the holiday season began with a bang with a superb strike from 30 yards to give his side a stunning win.

Howe collected the ball on the halfway line and with few Bradford players anywhere near him, put his head down and ran at goal.

After brushing past Luke O'Brien's weak challenge, he let fly with a shot that arrowed into the top right corner of Rhys Evans' goal.

It was a goal that drew praise from assistant boss Mark Lillis.

He said: "It was an amazing strike. I asked him if had scored a better goal than that at any time and he said he had! I'd love to have seen that one because this was something special."

It was also a goal that will give those judging the Shrimps' goal of the season food for thought after Garry Hunter's volley at Grimsby a few weeks ago looked a certain winner.

The game itself started with Bradford well on top.

The visitors had the better chances of the opening period with Barry Roche saving superbly from Paul Mullin on 28 minutes after the on-loan Accrington striker shared a neat one-two with Peter Thorne.

Thorne himself then came close with a shot that fizzed across the six-yard box after a mistake by Jim Bentley before the pressure paid off with an opening goal on 36 minutes.

Nicky Law swung in a right-wing corner and Matt Clarke rose highest to head past Roche from six yards out.

With Bradford in charge, the game then changed a minute after the restart when from another corner Peter Thorne's header looked to have crossed the line. But the linesman didn't give it and the referee waved the claims away and Morecambe had a lifeline – which they took.

The Shrimps pulled one back on 55 minutes when the Bradford defence failed to spot the danger from midfielder Stewart Drummond who raced into the box to head a cross from Danny Adams past Evans from 12 yards out.

And the large band of travelling fans were left stunned 15 minutes from time when Howe delivered his telling blow.

The Bantams staged a late revival with a Joe Colbeck cross inches too high for Mullin and substitute Steve Jones nipping in between defenders and goalkeeper to head just wide but the Shrimps held on for another memorable win.

Bradford City: Evans, O'Brien, Clarke, Lee, Rehman, Brandon (Jones 76), Law (Bullock 82), Colbeck, McLaren, Mullin, Thorne (Boulding 72). Subs not used: Arnison, Nix. Booked: Colbeck, Clarke.

Morecambe: Roche 7; Yates 7, Bentley 7, Artell 7, Adams 7, Wainwright 7 (McLachlan 85); Hunter 8 (McStay 89), Drummond 7, Curtis 7, Howe 8, Twiss 7. Subs not used: Edge, Duffy, O'Carroll. Booked: Artell, Curtis, Yates, Howe.

Referee: N Miller.
Attendance: 4,546.

Star man: Rene Howe – although far from his best game, he came up with the goods.