Jim Bentley: Morecambe must capitalise on consecutive home matches
Morecambe boss Jim Bentley said his side needs to put last Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Yeovil Town behind them as they prepare for a vital week.
The Shrimps have two home games this week against Hartlepool United and Aldershot Town, with Bentley admitting there is now little room for error as they continue their fight for National League survival.
Hartlepool visit the Mazuma Mobile Stadium on Wednesday (7.45pm) with Morecambe still three points from safety after all of their relegation rivals were beaten last time out.
It is a full round of midweek matches in the National League, with tonight seeing second-bottom Braintree Town – level on points with the Shrimps – visiting Brackley Town who are in 20th, three points clear of Bentley’s players.
Gateshead, who are in the final relegation place and behind Brackley on goal difference, host second-placed York City.
Bentley said: “We have two massive home games this week ahead of a tough Easter and it is important we make that home advantage count because we need a points return from both.
“The boys have done great for me since I have come here and we have improved, but we took a bit of a kicking on Saturday and we have to react and respond this week.
“We can’t dwell on the Yeovil defeat and need to have a positive attitude going into the games because, if we do feel sorry for ourselves or if the confidence we have built wavers a little bit, Hartlepool and Aldershot will be waiting to put another boot into us.
“We were fortunate on Saturday that results in the other games were kind to us and nothing much has changed in terms of the league table – but we can’t keep depending on results elsewhere, we have to make sure we get our own house in order.
“We missed the opportunity to get three points and get out of the bottom four on Saturday – and get a result that would have dragged Yeovil into the bottom few as well and we are now in the position where we need wins.”