Alex Kenyon calls on Morecambe to back up Newport County AFC victory against Oldham Athletic

The Shrimps welcome Oldham Athletic to the Globe Arena on the back of their 2-1 win against Newport last weekend.

Victory moved them off the bottom of the League Two table but only after an awful first-half performance was followed by a superb second 45 minutes, capped by goals from Cole Stockton and John O’Sullivan.

“We came in at half-time and we weren’t happy with how we’d done in the first half; we were all off it to be honest,” Kenyon admitted.

“We got a telling-off, which was deserved, but we’ve come out in the second half and showed what we have in the locker.

“It’s a massive result; coming into the game, we knew they have been struggling a bit recently and we knew it was a big game for ourselves.

“If someone had left at half-time they’d have been fuming, but it’s a game of two halves and we changed it around second half.

“No-one wants to be bottom of the table at Christmas and we aren’t.

“It’s a great result and hopefully we can back it up on Boxing Day and start to pull away.”

With club captain Barry Roche now focusing on his new role as goalkeeping coach, the armband had passed to Sam Lavelle.

However, his four-game suspension for a red card at Crewe Alexandra last month means Kenyon has led the side for the last three matches.

Lavelle’s ban, plus a one-game suspension for another centre-half, Ritchie Sutton, saw Kenyon moved back from midfield to partner Steve Old in the centre of defence against Newport.

He said: “The old gaffer (Jim Bentley) put me there a couple of times, played me there in the reserves and he said ‘I could see you there in the years to come.’

“I enjoy it – and I’m frustrated they scored – but I enjoy it anywhere.”

Today’s game is the last of Lavelle’s suspension but Sutton is available to return, giving Morecambe boss Derek Adams a welcome dilemma.

“We want selection problems,” the manager said.

“We haven’t had enough of them since I came through the door.”