Morecambe’s manager reflected on their progress to the FA Cup’s third qualifying round.

Morecambe manager Adam Lakeland described Saturday’s FA Cup victory over Southport as an ‘important’ one, writes DEREK QUINN.

Goals from Paul Lewis and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts saw the Shrimps through to the third qualifying round after a scrappy encounter at the Halo Aerospace Stadium.

Lakeland said: “Cup football is all about getting the result you want and we managed to win today, which is what it was all about.

“While I didn’t enjoy much of the game, I think it was an important win for us because we found a way to win a scrappy match and (it) shows we are going in the right direction.

“It was an incredibly tough game against a side that beat us a couple of weeks ago.

“I have watched a lot of their games and, to give them credit, I think the two matches we have had against us have seen the best version of them.

“It was scrappy, it was bitty, the ball was in the air a lot and there was not a great deal of urgency to the game.

“They didn’t want to use the multi-ball system, which kind of told you from the word go they wanted to frustrate and kill the game a little bit, but they were a handful.

“Their forwards made us work hard, like they did in the league game a couple of weeks ago, and they competed well everywhere else.

“Our frustration was that we didn’t try and play enough and got embroiled in it being a scrappy game.

“We had to work incredibly hard to get our nose in front - and then to withstand the pressure that comes in cup football when you are winning and get a second to see us through.”