“We aren’t just a one-trick pony”: Morecambe are playing the football manager Jim Bentley wants to see
Jim Bentley believes Morecambe’s display at Sutton United last time out is the example of how he wants the Shrimps to perform for the rest of the season.
Bentley’s players followed up a 3-2 victory at Wealdstone a week-and-a-half ago with a 5-0 win at Sutton last weekend.
That made it three wins, three draws and three defeats in the nine National League games since Bentley returned to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium last month, having only won five of 28 under his predecessor Ashvir Singh Johal.
Jack Nolan continued his red-hot form with a nine-minute first-half hat-trick, Paul Lewis netted his first goal for the club and Daniel Ogwuru came off the bench to score his second of the season after returning from a loan at Workington.
Five goals, three points and a clean sheet meant it was just about the perfect afternoon as Morecambe moved to within three points of safety with nine matches left in the campaign.
The Shrimps’ manager was especially pleased to shut out the home team, having seen only one clean sheet in the eight previous matches.
Bentley said: “It was good. We started really well, were four goals up in half an hour and then they went down to 10 men with a red card (Junior Eccleston was sent off).
“I’d have snapped your hand off to get a clean sheet, as well as numerous goals, so it was a five-star performance all round really.
“It’s how I want us to perform as a team. We’ve been quite rounded and looked good on the counter-attack, from set plays and restarts – not just from corners and free-kicks.
“They were a possession-based side when I came in, so I’ve tried to put a bit more on it.
“The football might not be as good as it was, but what I’ve tried to do is get them working both in and out of possession.
“We’ve got some momentum back and we’re looking good. We aren’t just a one-trick pony, we can offer a threat in numerous ways which I think has been typified in the goals that we’ve been scoring.”