Morecambe boss: Shrimps should aim for the Championship

Derek Adams believes there is no reason why Morecambe cannot eventually win promotion to the Championship.
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The Shrimps reached League One for the first time on Monday with a 1-0 play-off final win against Newport County AFC at Wembley.

Next season will see them come up against clubs who have been Premier League regulars in recent times.

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Outsiders will believe that Morecambe are punching well above their weight just by being in League One - but the manager says they can aim higher still.

Morecambe celebrate League Two promotion play-off final victory on MondayMorecambe celebrate League Two promotion play-off final victory on Monday
Morecambe celebrate League Two promotion play-off final victory on Monday
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“It can go to the Championship if it wants to,” Adams said when asked how far the club could go.

“If you believe, then you’ll get somewhere, and we had a lot of belief this year.

“We have shown that, to get out of League Two and into League One, that’s what you need - and some good players.

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“You can do whatever you want to do. As a seven-year-old, I watched Aberdeen beat Bayern Munich and I went to Gothenburg and saw Aberdeen beat Real Madrid, so tell me what you can’t do in this world.”

From the Newport perspective, Monday’s match was a tale of two penalty decisions - both of which left them feeling hard done by.

Morecambe keeper Kyle Letheren escaped censure early on after missing a long throw and colliding with Newport’s Scot Bennett, who headed off target in the process.

They were also angry with the penalty verdict that went in Morecambe’s favour when Ryan Haynes was deemed to have fouled John O’Sullivan during extra time.

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Carlos Mendes Gomes kept his nerve to score from the spot and give Morecambe victory over Newport this season at the third time of asking, having seen Stephen Hendrie and Sam Lavelle sent off in the two previous meetings.

“I thought it (Morecambe’s spot-kick) was a penalty kick,” Adams responded.

“Our player gets across their defender and he’s lucky not to get sent off or booked, it’s a clear penalty.

“You only have to look at the other games. Newport played against 10 players twice and won twice.

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“With 11 players, we thought we would have a very good opportunity and, today, that happened.”

One goal always looked like settling Monday’s final as both sides struggled to get to grips with the conditions.

There was a drinks break at the midway point of the first and second half on one of the hottest days of the year.

The Wembley pitch, as Adams predicted, also played a part with both sets of players trying to find the right weight of pass.

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“Wembley is a slow playing surface and it isn’t conducive to quick, attacking football,” he said.

“England find it difficult to play in that style. They try and water the pitch as best they can but there weren’t a lot of opportunities on goal.

“There was always going to be a twist in the game that won it.”

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