Derek Adams: EFL should look at incidents of keepers claiming injury

Adams saw his Morecambe players unable to follow up last weekend’s win against Fleetwood Town as they lost 2-1 at Newport County AFC on Tuesday.

It was a game in which the Shrimps dominated possession and created a host of opportunities on goal as they sought to escape League Two’s relegation positions.

Instead, they were beaten thanks to a combination of defensive errors, the woodwork, poor finishing and an inspired performance from home keeper Nick Townsend.

However, speaking after the match, Adams was less than impressed at seeing Townsend go to ground on a couple of occasions.

He felt those stoppages enabled Newport to break up the game and allowed their players to take on some tactical advice.

It was a theme Adams revisited when speaking ahead of the Shrimps’ return to training on Thursday morning.

He said: “I think it’s something the EFL has to look at.

“Mick Horton, our director of football operations, came up with a good point; if the keeper goes down, they have to substitute someone else for 30 seconds.

“We can’t allow goalkeepers to go down uninjured and allow their team to take a break.

“I admit it’s something that I’ve done in the past but it’s a loophole in the game that allows you to adjust the team and speak to the players.

“There has to be something there that makes them think twice before doing it in future.”