Bentley’s glowing as Rose decides it

JIM BENTLEY admitted his Morecambe side rode their luck as they came from behind to beat Blackpool at the Globe Arena.

Jack Dunn’s penalty and Michael Rose’s first-time finish cancelled out Brad Potts’ opener in this fiery Lancashire derby.

Bentley was happy to put last weekend’s defeat to Exeter behind him with the three points against their seaside rivals.

“Today was a massive game, a great occasion with a big crowd. I’m delighted that we’ve got the three points,” he said.

“I thought they were better than us in the first half.

“They had a few chances and we rode our luck, but we stayed in the game, got the break right on half-time and I felt the timing of that goal helped swing it in our favour.

“We battled and competed in the second half, and then managed to score a great counterattacking goal to get the win.

“It’s one for all of us to enjoy, the team and supporters.”

It was end-to-end action from the off, with Potts forcing a save from Barry Roache and both Rose and Dunn going close for Morecambe.

Blackpool took a deserved lead when Potts lashed home Andy Taylor’s cross, sending the 1,580 travelling fans wild on 23 minutes.

Tom Barkhuizen was clipped in the area by Jim McAlister as half time drew close.

A penalty was awarded and Dunn made no mistake from the spot.

Blackpool continued their dominance after the break, but with 15 minutes remaining Morecambe led.

A superb counter, led by Barkhuizen, found the on-running Rose who swept the ball home confidently to seal the three points.

Blackpool manager Gary Bowyer admitted afterwards he would take a lot from his side’s first defeat of the season, but he felt his side was harshly done by.

“There’s a little bit of frustration there that we’ve come away with nothing having played like that,” he conceded.

“I’m always learning about my players and the main thing to take from today is that, when we’re on top like we were in that first half, we need to be more ruthless and take our chances.

“If you can’t add a second, then it’s about game management.

“The timing of the penalty, with it being right on half time, is disappointing.

“But, when the chips are down, you need to roll your sleeves up and work hard, so we’ll dust ourselves down and go again on Tuesday.”