Bentley: We could have won by more at Southend

Jim Bentley believes his Morecambe side could have won by even more at Southend on Saturday.
Jim Bentley and Phil Brown on the touchline at Roots Hall.Jim Bentley and Phil Brown on the touchline at Roots Hall.
Jim Bentley and Phil Brown on the touchline at Roots Hall.

Jack Redshaw’s early goal was enough for a 1-0 win at Roots Hall but the Shrimps boss saw chances go begging late on as his side tried to make the game safe.

Bentley said: “Scoring early was great, it gave us a little bit of a boost and we had something to hold on to.

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“It’s a very difficult place to come. They’d just won four on the spin and are doing well, we’d obviously lost three on the spin so our momentum and confidence has taken a little bit of a kick.

“We were expecting a tough game and had worked on things in training with regards to counter attacking football.

Southend are a good footballing side and popped the ball round well but we got the goal and had chances to get a second or third.

“Either the choice of pass or decision making from the middle to final third was poor or when we got in on goal we just couldn’t get past (Southend ‘keeper Daniel) Bentley or we put it past the post when we should have really scored.

“But it’s a superb result for us.

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“Every player who started and the lads who went on put a shift in, worked hard, closed down and put their bodies on the line.”

It was Morecambe’s eighth win in nine Football League games against Southend with Bentley admitting to being perplexed by the run of results.

He said: “No-one knows why it’s like that.

“We have a similar thing with Accrington and it does my head in to be honest.

“These things throw themselves up in football and that’s why we all love the game but we have got this hold over Southend and long may it continue.”