Hereford richly deserved their draw after a battling performance in an entertaining FA Umbro Trophy fifth round encounter at Christie Park.

With both sides aiming to play good football, it was a well-balanced match, although Hereford may well feel that their strong finish to the game should have brought them a winning goal.

With Paul Sturgess passing a test on his injured leg, Hereford relied on the side which had overcome Leigh RMI in the previous round.

Sturgess, however, didn't have the happiest of afternoons, picking up a caution for a foul on ex-Bolton and Southampton winger David Lee before leaving the action at half-time with a fresh injury.

This brought on Matt Gardiner and the former Halesowen defender fared little better in combating the mercurial Lee who provided most of the home side's danger before being surprisingly withdrawn 10 minutes from time.

Lee seemed to have made the decisive opening on 53 minutes when the latest in a succession of testing crosses found John Norman unmarked on the six-yard line.

Norman, bang in form with three hat-tricks in his last four outings, made a good contact with the ball but directed his header just the wrong side of Scott Cooksey's left-hand post.

If this was, arguably, the clearest chance created in the game, then Hereford themselves certainly had openings to avoid the need for a replay.

After 64 minutes, an Ian Rodgerson corner fell to player-coach Phil Robinson and his right foot shot from the edge of the area was heading for the back of the net before full-back Andy Fensome popped up on the goal line to hack the ball to safety.

Then, 12 minutes from time, Gavin Williams seized on a loose ball after John Hardiker and goalkeeper Mark Smith got themselves in a tangle. The youngster, driven almost to the bye-line, got in his shot from the narrowest of angles but the effort struck the outside of the post and went behind.

In the 82nd minute, a 25-yarder from Robin Elmes was acrobatically pushed out by Smith who then smothered the loose ball at the feet of the advancing Gardiner.

With a minute to play, Morecambe substitute Phil Eastwood broke clear but shot far too early, from 30 yards, and his effort was easily gathered by Cooksey.

A goal at this stage, however, would have been rough justice on either side.

HEREFORD: Cooksey, Clarke, Sturgess (Gardiner 46 mins), Robinson, James, Wall, Quiggin, Snape, Elmes, Williams, Rodgerson (Bull 84 mins). Subs not used: Baker, Giddings, Shirley.

MORECAMBE: Smith, Fensome (Murphy 87 mins), Lyons, McKearney, Hardiker, Walters, Lee (Eastwood 80 mins), Drummond, Quayle (Thompson 85 mins), Norman, Black. Subs not used: Rigoglioso, Banks.

Referee: A Penn (Kingswinford)

Attendance: 1,109.