Bentley’s got a flat as Shrimps are held
MORECAMBE gaffer Jim Bentley admitted he felt flat after seeing his side squander two points late on at Carlisle.
The Reds battled back from behind to level but missed a great chance to pick up a welcome win when Adam Campbell smashed a penalty against the bar with seven minutes left.
Kelvin Etuhu handed the hosts the lead after 54 minutes, before Steven Old found an equaliser 18 minutes from time.
And Bentley, whose side went in to the game having won just once in their last seven in the league, reflected: “I’m gutted we didn’t win the game because we played so well.
“I thought we controlled the game for long periods and they didn't really cause too many problems and I was really flat when they took the lead with another wonder goal.
“To give the lads credit they fought back and created a few chances and fully deserved the equaliser.
“To get the penalty late in the match was a great chance for us to win the game but it wasn’t to be and I can’t help but feel a bit flat despite a performance that was full of positives for us.”
Morecambe’s Barry Roche made a good save to keep out Reggie Lambe’s thunderbolt.
The best chance of a quiet first half fell to Adam McGurk, who lashed a strike into the side netting.
Five minutes after the break, Etuhu hit a speculative effort from outside the box into the bottom corner after cries of “shoot” from the fans.
The game could have been dead and buried five minutes later as Aaron Wildig missed the target with the goal gaping.
Keith Curle’s Cumbrians failed to clear a free-kick, with Old on hand to poke home the equaliser in minute 72.
With mere minutes left former Brentford keeper Jack Bonham brought down Sam Lavelle in the box, with Campbell stepping up and striking the bar from 12 yards.
And Carlisle chief Curle insists his side got exactly what they deserved.
He said: “I think we fell in to the trap of letting them play on the break because we weren’t good enough in the final third.
“This isn’t just about the strikers but all the players.
“We didn’t have the urgency, the creativity or the movement in the final third to cause them a problem.
“Arguably their strength is their attacking players and their weakness is their defence but we didn’t have the quality to punish them.”