Morecambe get set for play-off trip to Tranmere Rovers tonight
Derek Adams wants one final effort from his Morecambe players as they begin their promotion play-off campaign this evening.
The Shrimps head to Tranmere Rovers (6pm) for the first leg of their semi-final, followed by the return at the Mazuma Stadium on Sunday (12.30pm).
They go into the end-of-season shootout, looking to win promotion after falling one point short in their bid to claim a top-three finish.
Adams said: “Obviously we’re looking forward to the two games.
“It doesn’t get much better than to be involved at this stage of the season.
“The players have put in a fantastic effort and now we’ve got one last push to make and see where it takes us.”
Morecambe concluded the season with five wins from their last six games, seeing them finish fourth with a club-record 78 points.
They now face a Tranmere side who ended seventh after winning only two of their last 11 outings.
For good measure, they also parted company with manager Keith Hill last week, meaning Ian Dawes has taken interim charge at Prenton Park for the second time this season.
He also had a spell as acting boss last autumn, winning five games from five during the period between Mike Jackson’s departure and Hill’s arrival.
When asked if that upheaval had altered his tactical approach in any way, Adams had one simple response.
“It doesn’t,” he said.
“We know how Tranmere are going to play in the game, from the point of view that Ian Dawes has taken over and we understand his ideas on the game.
“We know what he did when he took over the last time but, as we always say, it’s about how we play and how we take the game to Tranmere – that’s the most important thing.”
The Shrimps will be without Kelvin Mellor as he sits out the final game of a three-match ban for his red card against Bolton Wanderers.
Morecambe’s injury situation, which also saw players including John O’Sullivan and Liam Gibson sidelined, also shows little sign of abating.
The hope had been that the 12 days between the final day of the season and tonight might have given some of the absentees a chance to recover.
However, Adams said: “The only one that’s got a hope of playing is Aaron Wildig.
“Everyone else will be out, he’s the only one that could be fit for the game.”
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