Morecambe boss: Opening day a sign of what is to come in National League North
Morecambe manager’s message after a point for his players started the new season
Morecambe boss Adam Lakeland says last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Spennymoor Town was a vital wake-up call to his players for the season ahead, writes DEREK QUINN.
The Shrimps are tipped to be one of the top teams in the National League North during 2026/27 as they look for an immediate return to non-league’s top flight.
However, they trailed to Richie Bennett’s goal at half-time before Matty Daly’s second-half penalty earned a share of the spoils.
Spennymoor’s solid performance at the Halo Aerospace Stadium last weekend showed that there will be no room for complacency at any stage of the season.
Lakeland said: “I have been telling everyone since I came here that this is going to be a tough season.
“Teams will come here and raise their game and make it really difficult for us.
“If we are not quite at it and let them get their noses in front, they will fight and hold on to any advantage they have for as long as they can.
“In a way, and I said this to the players at half-time and full-time, I am glad that Saturday’s game went how it did.
“I was obviously disappointed not to win the game but it was a sign of what’s to come.
“On another day, we may have trailed by more at half-time because we didn’t threaten their goal at all and we gave the ball away cheaply a couple of times that allowed them to break on us.
“In the end, it was a really good day of learning and we are still in that learning process because we are a brand new team.
“I think we have many lessons to learn from the first half but they are fast learners and although disappointed to only get one point, the game itself - and the way it panned out - will help us massively going forward.”
Next up for the Shrimps is Saturday’s trip to Harborough Town, who are playing in the National League North for the first time.
The match had initially been chosen for streaming by National League TV on DAZN.
However, both clubs have confirmed that will no longer be the case and the fixture will not be available to watch live.