Morecambe FC will begin interviewing managerial candidates this week following Leyton Orient victory

Morecambe co-chairman Rod Taylor admitted Saturday’s win against Leyton Orient was the ideal way to end a turbulent week at the Globe Arena.
Morecambe co-chairmen Graham Howse and Rod TaylorMorecambe co-chairmen Graham Howse and Rod Taylor
Morecambe co-chairmen Graham Howse and Rod Taylor

A-Jay Leitch-Smith’s second-half goal, two minutes after coming off the bench, gave the Shrimps a 1-0 victory and three much-needed points.

It was their first game after the departures of former boss Jim Bentley, assistant manager Ken McKenna and goalkeeping coach Lee Jones, who all made the move to National League side AFC Fylde.

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A crowd of almost 2,700 saw a committed performance from first minute to last, overseen by caretaker bosses Kevin Ellison and Barry Roche.

Taylor said: “After an emotional week and seeing all the stuff that’s gone on around the club, externally and internally, it’s great to go and win.

“I thought the performance was excellent and it was a sublime goal that got the win.

“I think it could have been more but it’s just nice to win here and I’m sure Barry and Kevin will claim it was an inspired substitution!”

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Ellison and Roche’s first game as acting managers could not have gone any better with a win as well as a clean sheet.

Although the Shrimps remain bottom of League Two, they have moved level with second-bottom Stevenage with only six points separating the bottom seven sides.

How long they remain in charge, however, is a matter for debate with the Morecambe board set to commence interviews this week for the vacant managerial position.

“We’ve had dozens of enquiries and applications,” Taylor told supporters on Saturday.

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“We’ve drawn up a shortlist and we’re interviewing next week.

“To be fair (co-chairman) Graham Howse and (director and football secretary) Mick Horton have been excellent in putting this list together.

“It’s a bit different for Morecambe because we haven’t interviewed a manager since January 1994.

“Leighton James was interviewed, then Jim Harvey stepped in, then Sammy McIlroy, then Jim Bentley assumed the position.”

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Roche and Ellison have indicated they are happy to stay at the helm until a new manager is appointed with Saturday’s FA Cup first round tie at Blackpool looming.

“We’ll be in charge and we’ll look after the team for as long as the powers that be tell us,” Roche said.

“For us, it was just concentrating on today; we’ve got the lads back in Monday morning and we’ll go from there and see what happens.

“The lads are absolutely buzzing, it’s slightly strange for myself and Kev being on this side rather than being in the celebrations with the lads.

“As we’ve said to them, we couldn’t be prouder of the effort they’ve put in, they’ve carried out all our plans and all the credit goes to them because they were superb.”