Bentley’s men cast spell over Newport
MORECAMBE boss Jim Bentley wishes his side could play Newport every week as the Shrimps racked up a fourth successive win against the Exiles.
It was Jack Redshaw’s first-half strike that proved the difference this time around.
And Bentley was delighted Morecambe’s hoodoo over Newport continued.
“We’ve got a couple of teams we can’t seem to beat,” he said.“And certainly there are a couple that can’t beat us. Newport are one of those.
“We’ve played them four times now and won all four, so it’s great to do a double over a team.
“It was a hardearned win over tough opposition away from home and I’m absolutely made up that we’ve bounced back from defeat last Sunday.
“To come to Newport, who have a big, strong, physical side, under a new manager made it a very tough game for us.
“We’re pleased with the result and, hopefully, we can go on a run now.”
And County’s caretaker boss Jimmy Dack admitted his men struggled in both penalty boxes.
“I thought we didn’t turn up in the first half,” he said.“We knew they’d conceded early in their last two games but we never got at them.
“They’ve had five shots and three were on target and we’ve had eight shots and only one on target. That tells its own story.
“We had a go in the second half, but we are giving ourselves Everest to climb all the time.
“We have to be more clinical and turn our possession into something better.We are talking about the goal conceded, but our forward line need to start taking chances.”
The Exiles have failed to secure a single point against the perennial strugglers in four meetings since their return to the Football League.
They will again by wondering just how they lost a low-quality contest.
The lively Redshaw put Morecambe in front with their first shot on goal after eight minutes, cutting across Darren Jones to blast perfectly past Joe Day.
That was harsh on the Exiles, who mustered halfchances in response. County failed to test the opposition goalkeeper until five minutes after the interval when sub Robbie Willmott stung Andreas Arestidou’s hands.
By then, they could have been two behind, but for Day denying Redshaw a second.
The Exiles were the better side after the break and thought they’d equalised when Willmott’s cross was turned home, but Shaun Jeffers was adjudged offside.
Willmott and then sub Chris Zebroski both came close for County, before Byrne’s late header drifted wide to signal defeat.