Morecambe 4 Yeovil Town 3: Five things we learned

Morecambe finished 2017 on a high thanks to Friday night's last-gasp win against Yeovil Town at the Globe Arena.
Morecambe striker Vadaine OliverMorecambe striker Vadaine Oliver
Morecambe striker Vadaine Oliver

Having trailed 2-0 past the 70-minute mark, five goals in the final 20 minutes ended with Jim Bentley’s players claiming three points.

In a match full of talking points, these were the five we picked out for discussion….

Shrimps’ strong support

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Trailing 2-0 at half-time, it would have been easy for the home fans to be on the backs of players and management.

Instead, the second half saw those supporters behind Artur Krysiak’s goal roaring on the home players, providing noisy encouragement throughout.

It was almost as if they sucked the ball into the net on a couple of occasions, namely the goals from Vadaine Oliver and Callum Lang which made it 2-2.

The win might have been testament to the spirit among Bentley’s players but it was also just reward for those Shrimps supporters present last night.

Passing a test of character

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It had appeared that Morecambe were set for a fourth consecutive league loss, following on from Boxing Day’s home humbling against Notts County.

However, the players shrugged off mistakes that led to two of Yeovil’s three goals and showed the required attitude to get back into the game.

Yes, there maybe were a few too many long balls but a direct style of play is at odds with how the coaching team generally want to play.

The win against Coventry City three weeks ago would be the preferred method but, given a less than pristine playing surface and some players lacking in confidence, it’s understandable if they’re in a rush to get rid of the ball.

Clinical Callum

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It might be an idea just to double check there is not any recall clause in Callum Lang’s loan from Wigan Athletic.

Friday’s double made it five goals in as many appearances for the striker, who has quickly made himself a fans favourite.

It’s not just his creativity on the ball which has caught the eye; he has also displayed that knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Lang might have missed a couple of opportunities earlier in his time at the club but December has seen him display a ruthlessness in front of goal that Morecambe require.

Defensive errors

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While last night’s victory was very welcome, it wasn’t entirely the land of milk and honey.

The Shrimps could only have themselves to blame for the situation in which they found themselves.

A truly awful defensive blunder gave their visitors the lead and the least said the better about the marking for Yeovil’s third goal.

A win is a win but this was one achieved despite some of Morecambe’s defending; a situation which needs to change.

Victory thrown away

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The visitors may feel aggrieved at having suffered the latest of defeats at the Globe Arena but they can only blame themselves.

They could - and perhaps should - have had the game wrapped up at half-time thanks to their attacking threat and the Shrimps’ blunt cutting edge.

However, after the break, it was almost as if a different team had emerged with Yeovil seemingly happy to try and sit on their lead.

That lack of adventure paled into insignificance at some of the time taken to restart play, hence the six added minutes - for which Morecambe were very grateful.