Paul Mullin: Practice making perfect from the spot

The Shrimps striker showed few nerves as he fired in a 93rd minute penalty to seal a 2-1 win at League 2’s bottom side Newport County on Saturday.

The 20-year-old then revealed he’d been working on spot kicks with Morecambe number one Barry Roche, something that looks to be paying dividends.

Mullin said: “I don’t think about pressure. It’s football and I play to score.

“It’s a golden opportunity, one-on-one from 12 yards.

“It’s a free shot at goal. I’ve been working on them with Baz in training, waiting for the ‘keeper to move and thankfully it’s worked.”

Morecambe had problems from the spot last season but Mullin is hoping he won’t have to hand over the job at any time this season.

He said: “Last year when we were getting penalties I always put my name forward to take them.

“People were in front of me then but now I’ve got the job.

“Hopefully I can keep scoring them.”

His late intervention settled a game that in reality Morecambe never looked like winning.

Mullin said: “They (Newport) didn’t look anywhere near a bottom of the league side.

“They played well and are unlucky not to come out of the game with at least a point.

“But that happens like away at Hartlepool, we battered them and didn’t get the win.

“Saturday was the opposite.”

The striker hopes a second goal of the season, having also come off the bench to score against Notts County, will see him handed a chance from the start with Northampton the visitors to the Globe Arena on Saturday.

He said: “I think every time I’ve got I chance I’ve taken it.

“It’s not got me in the team but I’m just pleased to get the winning goal.

“It’s not about me though, it’s about the team and we’re doing well and hopefully we can keep it going.”

The game against The Cobblers will see The Shrimps look to back up two impressive away performances at home as they go in search of a fifth straight win in all competitions.

He said: “The home form last year wasn’t so good.

“This year we want to improve on it because our away form was better.

“We finished just outside the play-offs and hopefully we can get into them.

“Going on the pitch at the moment it seems like we can’t lose.

“We’re playing with real confidence.”