Morecambe 2 Crewe Alexandra 2: How the managers reacted

Chris Porter's injury-time penalty meant honours ended even at the Globe Arena on Saturday.
Morecambe manager Jim Bentley and his Crewe Alexandra counterpart David ArtellMorecambe manager Jim Bentley and his Crewe Alexandra counterpart David Artell
Morecambe manager Jim Bentley and his Crewe Alexandra counterpart David Artell

James Jones had given Crewe a half-time lead, only for Andrew Tutte and Kevin Ellison to put Morecambe ahead.

Morecambe manager Jim Bentley and his Crewe Alexandra counterpart, David Artell, faced the media afterwards; this is how they saw the game.

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Jim Bentley: “It’s tough to take and I don’t think we deserved it.

“It feels like getting beaten and I thought we were unlucky to come in 1-0 down.

“It was an eventful game with a little bit of everything; the pitch is shot but we have tried to play and they have tried to play.

“We started really brightly in the first 10 or 15 minutes and had a couple of opportunities but they got the goal and had that momentum.

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“We wrestled it back, finished the half strongly, and I thought we played well and created chances.

“Tutty (Andrew Tutte) got us back in with a great free-kick and it looked like we were going to go on and win it.

“We scored a fantastic goal with Kevin Ellison towards the end and then we had that nervous edge; we were slashing at clearances and we weren’t hitting the percentage ball – or the right ball.

“We talk about game management; their centre-halves were shot and needed liquids and gels to get them through so what Rhys Oates wants is a ball to go in the channel so it’s a throw and the game’s dead.

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“Alex (Kenyon) has played the wrong ball and Rhys has held his hands up because he couldn’t get hold of it.

“They have broken, there’s a good bit of play from Shaun Miller, a good cross and it looks like a penalty; Millsy (Zak Mills) barges into the lad.

“I keep saying I’m an honest person; I look over every game and I think we’ve only gained five points this season but we’ve thrown 11 away.”

David Artell: “One of the worst performances of the season for me.

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“I had a go at them at half-time when we were winning 1-0 but when you score late to get something out of the game, you’re a relieved man.

“We couldn’t pass water; we didn’t match their tenacity but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

“It’s a funny old game; we got a point away from home when we’ve played 100 times better and got nothing.

“We were fortunate to be in front; they had one cleared off the line but I’m not sure they were ever going to open us up.

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“Second half, they were on the front foot just because they were in the right place and putting balls in the area – and we were making some poor decisions.

“I didn’t think we could get much worse but we didn’t get much better second half; it wasn’t a great advert for football full stop.

“Chris Porter was our best player by a distance and deserved his goal; he’s been terrific the last few games.

“He’s one player who could come out with any credit; the players were a shadow of themselves and the standards they set.”