Bentley happy with point for Morecambe

Posted Wednesday, March 21, 2018 by PA

Morecambe boss Jim Bentley was the happier of the two managers as his side moved a point further away from the bottom two after a battling 0-0 draw with Colchester at the Globe Arena.

The Shrimps moved nine points clear of the relegation zone with Bentley happy to see his side maintain their push for safety.

He said: “It wasn’t a great game and there were certainly elements of our forward play that we could have done better but it was an important point for us.

“It took us to 40 points though and another point clear of the bottom two so as a result it was important as it took us a step closer to safety.

“The positives were the clean sheet and the way we defended again but we did take some wrong options going forward. We did break well at times and played ourselves into good positions but didn’t make the most of them and that has been the story of our season in many ways.

“We would have loved to have won the game but it was important that we didn’t lose it at the same time. Colchester are not on a great run but they have a good side with a lot of attacking players and we restricted them to very little so it was a decent result for us.”

Colchester manager John McGreal admitted the draw was a further blow to his side’s play-off plans.

He said: “We picked a side to win the game and we wanted to win the game but it was a difficult night on a difficult pitch.

“Defensively we limited them to very little but we just lacked that little bit of inventiveness around the box. We did have a couple of opportunities, even at the end of the game, but we didn’t take them and that has been the story of our season in many ways.

“Defensively we were solid again like we have been for most of the season and they didn’t really hurt us but we just need a bit more going forward to win games.

“We made some positive changes at the end and we kept plugging away but we just couldn’t get the goal.”

Colchester started well with Brennan Dickinson and Ryan Jackson firing shots wide before an Alex Kenyon header hit the top of his own crossbar after a dangerous cross into the Morecambe box.

Morecambe created the better openings of the first half although their best effort came on the stroke of half-time.

Adam McGurk drilled in a sweetly struck low shot from 25 yards that Sam Walker could only parry but the keeper did well to react sharply and save the follow-up from Garry Thompson with his legs.

Colchester started well with Dickenson drilling an early effort wide before they were denied by the crossbar when a cross was flicked on by Morecambe defender Kenyon but hit the woodwork.

The visitors were sharper in the second half and went close to stealing the points after 75 minutes when Dickenson’s inswinging free-kick was superbly saved by Barry Roche.

Morecambe had a late chance win the game but Thompson volleyed Vadaine Oliver’s knock down over from close range before Michael Mandron almost snatched victory at the death when he had a half chance in the box but blazed a shot horribly wide of the target.