“We’ve worked on getting more scruffy goals and on our set plays”: Morecambe attackers' net gains over the last month

The Shrimps picked up their second win in eight games since Bentley’s return with Tuesday’s 3-2 victory at Wealdstone.

Jack Nolan’s double took his tally for the season to 12, curling home his first from distance before taking Miguel Azeez’s pass and rounding the keeper for a second.

It was strike partner Chris Popov who had got the Shrimps on level terms, netting his seventh goal since Bentley’s arrival with a close-range header.

That kind of goal was the exception than the norm under Bentley’s predecessor, Ashvir Singh Johal, while a new manager has also brought a change of tactical set-up.

As well as a shift in formation from a back four to a three, Nolan has been moved from the wing to a central role alongside Popov.

It is a switch which has seen the pair flourish, scoring 13 of Morecambe’s 16 goals in the last month.

Bentley said: “The team has been a very passing-based side with not many people getting in the box, so the ball doesn’t get in there. Now, we’ve got Chris, Miguel and Jack getting in there.

“You look at his (Nolan) goals throughout the season, they had been from outside the box but he’s now got a header against Gateshead and a tap-in against Eastleigh.

“We’ve worked on getting more scruffy goals and on our set plays because the record wasn’t great there either.

“Chris’ goal on Tuesday was a routine we’d worked on where Liam Hogan gets free for a header.

“I’d spoken to him (Popov) the first time we tried that in a game but he wasn’t in the right position.

“Paul Lewis came around instead but if Chris was in the right position, he would have had a tap-in.

“Thankfully, he was in the right position the other night when Liam got a free header.

“Any striker needs to have different types of goals but they are working well together.”

While Popov and Nolan have been in fine form of late, it still hasn’t deterred Bentley from bringing back Daniel Ogwuru from his loan at Workington.

The 21-year-old had been due to spend the rest of the season there and got off to a good start, netting three goals in five games.

Having scored the winner against Altrincham in Morecambe’s first match of the season, Ogwuru’s appearances against Aldershot Town and Woking the following week were his only other outings under Johal.

After two matches as an unused substitute under Bentley, appearance number four came off the bench at Wealdstone.

“We’re quite big as a squad but we’re a bit light at the top end,” Bentley added.

“We’re playing that many games back to back, it’s important we have cover in all areas.

“Dan’s been out of the league so it’s important we have a look at him.

“He apparently did well in the couple of games he was here, so we need the competition in that area.

“People have spoken highly of him. He put a shift in defensively the other night so, hopefully, we can see what he can do going forward.”