Winning start for new Morecambe boss with pre-season victory against Kendal Town
Goals in each half give Adam Lakeland a winning start as Morecambe manager.
Adam Lakeland was encouraged after watching his Morecambe team begin pre-season with Saturday’s 3-1 win at Kendal Town.
Elliot Newby, Ronnie Blois and Conan Newall were on target for a Shrimps squad containing three trialists and which fielded different XIs in each half.
Newby opened the scoring in the 13th minute, converting Corey Goodyear’s cross-cum-shot from close range.
He also hit the woodwork before half-time, after which Newall, Lewis Leigh and Taelor O’Kane were denied before a Kendal trialist levelled with 12 minutes left.
However, Blois restored Morecambe’s lead four minutes later and Newall completed the scoring on 89 minutes.
Speaking to the club’s website afterwards, Lakeland gave his thoughts on Morecambe’s opening runout ahead of the National League North season.
He said: “It was a good exercise for us, it’s been a positive first outing.
“I think these pre-season games are always difficult, particularly when you’ve had as much change as we’ve had.
“(There was) A little bit of a mixed team both halves, players who have not really played together at all before, but there were some pleasing parts of our play.
“I thought there were spells in both halves where we were a little bit scruffy, a little bit disjointed, and lost that control and rhythm to our play.
“In the main, all you want out of these games is the minutes in your legs and to come through unscathed.
“I think we’ve managed to do that whilst winning and scoring some good goals, so a positive day for us.
“I wanted everybody to get 45 minutes. We felt that we wanted to try and have the teams as even as we felt they could be for both halves, so that we were quite competitive for the full 90 minutes.
“Obviously a lot of change means it can be a little bit disjointed - which it was at times - but I’ve managed a lot of these pre-season games, I know what they’re all about.
“It’s about getting through it, trying to win. If you can see some positive signs, that’s good, and I felt we saw that.
“I saw some early signs of relationships and combinations between some of the players, which is encouraging.”
The Shrimps’ schedule for next season will be announced on Friday, when the National League publishes its fixture lists at 11am.