The referee behind the "phantom" goal left City fuming by dishing out the red card that never was.
Stuart Attwell will always be remembered for awarding that goal that never went in at Watford.
In City's eyes, the dismissal of Gareth Evans will fall into the same ridiculous bracket.
The striker was sent packing as he challenged Morecambe keeper Barry Roach for a through ball. He caught Roach as they slid together but there was clearly no intent - but that's not how Attwell saw it, and Evans will now miss three games.
His dismissal soured another gutsy display as City claimed their first point at Christie Park. They should have won it.
Stuart McCall's confidence in his own side's form was evident with the unchanged team-sheet and the growing bond between City's players and fans was underlined with the warm applause they got during the warm-up.
The teams were greeted by a firework display on the pitch - all three of them. Apparently Morecambe do it before every home game to mark their final season before moving to a new ground.
City looked to produce a bit more sparkle in the opening minutes, with Scott Neilson and Michael Flynn nearly carving out openings.
Morecambe shouted in vain for a penalty after the ball bobbled up against Steve Williams before Phil Jevons and Ian Craney tried the first shots in anger.
Evans responded from a flighted pass by Luke O'Brien and Barry Roach was forced into a low save.
Zesh Rehman's physical duel with former City team-mate Paul Mullin was threatening to become a real arm wrestle but the first booking went to Lee Bullock for body-checking Garry Hunter - his fourth yellow of the campaign.
Jon Bateson made an important block from Jevons and Laurance Wilson curled the rebound into the packed City stand.
City came close to breaking the deadlock after 20 minutes as Neilson got goal-side of Wilson and drilled in a low cross which just needed a touch from James Hanson in the six-yard box.
Flynn put City under pressure when he nudged Jevons over on the edge of the City box. The Huddersfield loan striker took the free-kick himself - and bent it against the post with Simon Eastwood motionless.
It was the seventh time Morecambe had hit the woodwork this season. What's McCall's favourite saying about narrow margins?
City were getting most joy down the right flank, with Neilson and Bateson working well together. The young right back was as willing as ever to bomb forward and support the winger.
Roach's weak punch gave City a sight on goal nine minutes before the break. James O'Brien tried to volley it straight back but his connection was weak and fell for Evans, whose snapshot was palmed away by the relieved keeper.
As play swung from end to end, Evans twice could have punished Morecambe. First he overran the ball in the box, losing out to Andy Parrish's well-judged tackle, and then leant back and fired well over in City's next attack.
Evans continued to take centre stage as Flynn's long ball out of defence set him off on another chase. He did well to hold off three men round him and his deflected cross clipped the bar before Morecambe could scramble clear.
City were nearly given a gift within 27 seconds of the restart as Roach slipped as he came for Hanson's cross. The ball bounced past him but Jim Bentley hooked away in the nick of time.
Luke O'Brien lifted the tempo with a tremendous surge from the halfway line to force the first corner of the half but that was comfortably defended.
Roach was again at sixes and sevens as he made a meal of dealing with O'Brien's cross as Hanson rose at the far post.
The 1,162 away contingent could sense a breakthrough coming and began to make more noise.
Neilson was looking more and more dangerous and produced a fantastic bit of skill to slip past Parrish into the box before Flynn was crowded out by a mass of red shirts. The pair combined again but Neilson's first-time flick at goal was weak.
City were well on top and Roach made a vital block low down to keep out Hanson's glancing header from another corner. As home frustration grew, City just needed that elusive goal.
Morecambe had created nothing but suddenly sub Michael Twiss had a great chance - only to miss the ball completely. Then Eastwood spilled an easy cross to cause a shiver of panic in the City ranks.
City were controversially reduced to ten men with 14 minutes left as Evans was shown a straight red. Flynn's pass sent him clear, Roche just got there first as the striker made a challenge and stayed down.
Evans had to go for the ball but Attwell thought otherwise and gave him his marching orders.
City argued furiously but within seconds it was Morecambe's turn to moan at the official as he turned down a huge penalty shout for Williams' challenge on Mullin.
Mullin thought he'd scored against his former club with ten minutes left but Eastwood superbly tipped his header over.
Roach matched that five minutes later to deny Luke O'Brien's fierce effort.
Then Neilson looked sure to finish Flynn's through ball but again Roach was there to make a huge save.
| MORECAMBE | BRADFORD CITY |
| 1 Barry Roche | 1 Simon Eastwood |
| 5 Jim Bentley | 3 Luke O'Brien |
| 8 Garry Hunter | 4 Michael Flynn |
| 9 Wayne Curtis | 5 Zesh Rehman |
| 10 Phil Jevons | 8 Lee Bullock |
| 13 Ian Craney | 9 Gareth Evans |
| 16 Stewart Drummond | 12 Steve Williams |
| 19 Laurence Wilson | 16 Jonathan Bateson |
| 21 Paul Mullin | 17 James Hanson |
| 22 Andy Parrish | 19 James O'Brien |
| 28 Will Haining | 26 Scott Neilson |
| Substitutes: | Substitutes: |
| 12 Scott Davies | 13 Jon McLaughlin |
| 6 Craig Stanley | 6 Matthew Clarke |
| 7 Michael Twiss for 10 (70) | 11 Chris Brandon |
| 17 Aaron Taylor | 14 Michael Boulding |
| 18 Mark Duffy for 8 (83) | 20 Leon Osborne |
| 23 Henry McStay for 28 (64) | 21 Luke Sharry |
| 24 Rory Winters | 24 Louis Horne |
| MATCH OFFICIALS: | |
| Referee | S Attwell |
| Assistant Referee | D Bryan |
| Assistant Referee | G Stott |
| 4th Official | G Salisbury |
| GOALSCORERS: | |
| MORECAMBE | BRADFORD CITY |
| DISCIPLINARY | |
| MORECAMBE | BRADFORD CITY |
| Curtis | Bullock |
| Wilson | Evans |
| . |
