MARC Wilson’s stunning strike booked Cherries a place in the third round of the League Cup after they had been given a good run for their money by Morecambe.

New addition Wilson netted with a rasping 25-yard drive after 54 minutes, his goal earning Eddie Howe's side a home tie with Preston North End.

Cherries, whose 18-man squad cost around £40million, were forced to draw on all their resources to beat a team which was put together for nothing.

Although Max Gradel drew first blood for Cherries, Morecambe deservedly levelled through Cole Stockton with both goals coming in the first 14 minutes.

Simon Francis was the only starter in the Cherries line-up from Sunday’s defeat at West Ham as boss Howe made no fewer than 10 changes. Wilson and Brad Smith were both handed debuts, while Lewis Cook and Nathan Ake also started.

After a speculative effort from Stockton flew over early on, the Shrimps went close when Adam Federici was forced to parry Tom Barkhuizen’s stinging drive.

Cherries briefly knocked the wind out of the hosts’ sails when they opened the scoring through Gradel, the Ivorian’s right-foot shot thudding against the base of the post before nestling in the back of the net.

Morecambe were then thankful to Barry Roche for saving from Junior Stanislas after the winger had taken aim from close range.

Cherries’ lead lasted just eight minutes, though, as Stockton’s composed finish from around six yards found the bottom corner after the visitors had failed to deal with Barkhuizen’s long throw.

Lewis Grabban’s header flashed past the post before Gradel’s piledriver was charged down.

Roche dived to his right to push away Benik Afobe’s low drive, with the Morecambe goalkeeper quickly getting to his feet to nick the ball off Gradel.

A timely block from Ryan Edwards prevented Grabban’s shot from testing Roche before the Cherries striker fluffed his lines when he miskicked with the goal at his mercy.

And in first-half injury-time, Cherries had a mighty let-off when Barkhuizen’s thunderous first-time shot smacked against the inside of the post.

Grabban’s deflected effort went over at the start of the second half before Cherries regained the lead through Wilson in the 54th minute.

The defender let fly from 25 yards, his fierce right-foot drive rocketing past the dive of Roche and into the bottom corner.

Gradel’s angled drive fizzed narrowly wide before Ake’s saving tackle prevented Jack Dunn from having a free run on goal.

A stray back pass presented Afobe with a glorious chance to make it 3-1 but Roche raced out to save the day when he nicked the ball off the striker’s toe.

Wilson’s pass to Federici was misjudged by the Cherries goalkeeper who managed to retrieve the situation before Dunn’s 20- yard Exocet fizzed past the upright.

Makeshift striker Edwards twice went close to equalising in stoppage time, his header clipping the bar before his shot was pushed past the post by Federici.

MATCH FACTS

Morecambe: Roche, Wakefield, Edwards, Whitmore, Conlan, Barkhuizen, Fleming, Dunn (Mullin, 80), Rose, Molyneux (Ellison, 73), Stockton (Turner, 80). Unused subs: McGowan, Kenyon, Hedley, Nizic (g/k).

Cherries: Federici, Francis, M Wilson, Ake, B Smith, Stanislas (Pugh, 61), Gosling, L Cook, Gradel (Hyndman, 90), Grabban (Mousset, 77), Afobe. Unused subs: O’Kane, Buckley, Lee, Holmes (g/k).

Referee: Peter Bankes.

Attendance: 2,542 (including 293 away supporters).