Adams off the bottom as he joins 500 club

NEW boss Derek Adams is backing his Morecambe side to improve after a point moved them off the bottom of the table.

A first-half penalty from top-scorer Bez Lubala – his ninth goal of the season – put Crawley ahead, but Cole Stockton rescued a point with a fine first-time shot from a cross by Tom Brewitt nine minutes from time.

Adams, on his 500th game as a manager, was delighted to get off the mark in his first league game in charge and said: “It was a very good performance away from home.

“We started well, could have scored three goals early on, and the resilience we showed pleased me the most.

“I’ve only been at the club for five days and we have had two games already, so it’s been difficult.

“We are going to take it a step at a time; we just need to improve. We need to be better in the final third.”

Morecambe carved out some early openings and, after George Tanner and Aaron Wildig were off target, Stockton should have put the Shrimps ahead.

Former Tranmere forward Stockton fired wide from a good position in the 11th minute following a pass by Aaron Wildig. Crawley top-scorer Lubala had a free-kick turned away by keeper Mark Halstead before Reds opposite number Glenn Morris parried a goal-bound shot from Luke Conlan.

Crawley broke the deadlock a minute before the interval with Lubala notching only his second goal in 14 games, from the spot after Brewitt had brought down David Sesay.

Former Birmingham man Lubala came close to scoring again shortly after the break when a cross by Lewis Young just eluded him in front of goal.

But Morecambe clinched a point through Stockton nine minutes from time, the forward rifling in a first-time shot from a cross by Brewitt.

Crawley head coach Gabriele Cioffi said he felt the team did not deserve to be booed at the end.

“I was surprised by the reaction. We didn’t deserve the boos and I would prefer to be the target,” said the Italian.

“Expectation is high and I can understand the fans’ frustration, but I didn’t think we deserved the boos.

“It was two points dropped, but I can’t say anything against the boys.”