Derek Adams proud of progress being made by Morecambe

The Shrimps face three former top flight clubs in Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth in the next fortnight with Adams praising the club for the progress it has made over the last few years, and how it is doing all it can to keep competing at the League One level.

Speaking after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Wycombe, Adams said: "We are Morecambe Football Club, playing in League One, against clubs with much bigger budgets than us.

"You can see the quality these sides have week in week out and that is something we all have to understand.

"When you look at Wycombe you don't get the players with the experience of Sam Vokes for a few pennies.

" You get him because you spend money and that's the way it is at this level.

"But we are competing at this level ,which is always going to be difficult, and we are working really hard.

"You are not going to get things your way all the time and we have to accept that.

"When you look at the week ahead of us as we come up against the likes of Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Portsmouth and MK Dons but that is the beauty of being a Morecambe fan at the moment.

"We got into League One because we gave it our all and deserved to get there and I am sure the supporters who have been with us long enough will understand where we have come from as a football club, and the limitations that we have budget-wise.

“What we do have, though, is a squad of players who are working ever so hard to get every point we can and we will keep battling for every point possible and that is why we need everyone behind us.''

Morecambe welcome Derby County to the Mazuma Stadium for a rearranged game this evening (7.45pm).

The match should have been played in September but was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

That postponement, as well as progress in cup competitions, sees the Shrimps currently in a schedule of 11 games in six weeks.

Tonight will also be the third of four consecutive midweek matches; a tough enough task at the best of times but even more so given Morecambe’s injury problems.

“It is an issue at times,” said Adams.

“You’re wondering if someone is going to be injured or if someone’s going to be off with an illness, a bereavement or a new baby coming into the world.

“These are the dilemmas for all head coaches throughout the country but we just want to get a settled team together.”