"We are not far away": Morecambe manager remains bullish
Morecambe manager Ashvir Singh Johal insists his players are close to getting on a run of form that will see them climb the National League table.
A 4-2 defeat at York City on Saturday kept the Shrimps second-bottom on goal difference, three points from safety.
Morecambe had led twice against their in-form hosts with Miguel Azeez and Ben Tollitt scoring in each half at the LNER Community Stadium.
However, Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Ollie Banks twice levelled for York before Alex Hunt and Ryan Fallowfield sentenced the Shrimps to an 11th defeat in 18 league games.
Nevertheless, Johal maintains he saw enough in his players’ performance last weekend to suggest that a positive run of results is not far away.
He said: “We are not far away. We are a team that is performing well in moments but we have to cut out the mistakes and make sure we take our chances when they come – and if we do that I am very confident that the situation will improve.
“In the last few weeks I think we have refined our style of play and made changes.
“Defensively we are generally a lot more set and we are able to make specific adjustments to our game plan depending on the opposition.
“The framework is there now and we know we can do it, but we have to do it consistently and do it for 90 minutes – and not make the individual mistakes that we saw at York on Saturday.
“It’s about being the best version of us for 90 minutes, not 70 or not in spells, but the full game.”
Morecambe can leapfrog third-bottom Aldershot Town and pull level with Sutton United and Braintree Town if they pick up three points against Brackley Town at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium this evening (7.45pm).
It is the last of their three previously postponed matches as a result of the club’s suspension from the National League before Panjab Warriors’ eventual takeover in August.
Tonight’s visitors make the trip on the back of three defeats in their last four league outings, their only positive result in that time being a first away win of the season against Braintree.