Morecambe show success can be achieved on a shoestring compared to the rest

The Shrimps will face Newport County AFC at Wembley next Monday with promotion into League One the prize on offer.

Heralded as favourites for relegation at the start of the season, Adams’ players missed out on automatic promotion by a point.

They then shrugged off any lingering disappointment to defeat Tranmere Rovers 3-2 on aggregate over two legs.

Adams said: “It’s a massive achievement for the football club to get to where we are.

“As I keep on saying, we have got the lowest wage bill out of the 92 clubs in the league but that doesn’t guarantee you’re going to be the worst team in the league.

"We have shown that this season, we can fight with the best teams in the league.

“We’ve beaten (champions) Cheltenham twice over two games and now we’ve been able to beat another big club in Tranmere.”

The Morecambe camp won’t have too long to dwell on victory, however, with only eight days separating the second leg with Tranmere from next Monday’s final.

Adams does, however, have prior experience of preparing teams for big occasions.

North of the border, he took Ross County to the Scottish Cup final in 2010 and, five years ago, his first season at Plymouth Argyle brought another League Two play-off final.

The circumstances this time around will be different with only a limited number of supporters being able to attend.

“We’re really looking forward to it but we don’t have a long time to wait,” Adams said.

“The last time I was there (with Plymouth), we took 35,000 (fans) to Wembley but the difference is we won’t have as many spectators.

“The pitch at Wembley is slow, so you have to play in a different way, but it’s just a marvellous occasion and something that stays with you for the rest of your football career.”

Around 1,500 Morecambe fans were able to witness their team reaching Wembley as part of the latest step on the road out of lockdown.

It made for a terrific atmosphere throughout as supporters watched their first live game since the draw with Crewe Alexandra at the end of February last year.

Adams said: “It was absolutely brilliant to see so many people with happiness on their faces and I think, for the players to have their family at the game, that was a good thing as well.

“For the whole season, they haven’t been able to watch them play at any stadium – and to win and get through and have them here was great.”

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