Keith Curle with reaction to the Morecambe away victory
Manager Keith Curle gave us his reaction to the clinical away victory at Morecambe shortly after full time at a very noisy Globe Arena.“Today was a day when it was about the result,” he said. “It was a dogged display from Morecambe and people who weren’t here will probably think the score line suggests total dominance.
“That wasn’t the case at all and I thought we were lucky to be ahead at half time. We had a few scary moments and that was a subject we brought up during the break. We’d scored the goal but we’d got it from what was probably our only real clear-cut chance.
“That was a very good strike from Danny Grainger and it was just what we needed. As I say, I thought we were given a few too many warnings by a good Morecambe side and that gave me a little bit of cause for concern.”
“We had to deal with their attacking threats because even when they were behind they kept going,” he continued. “That meant we had to counter and play our football at the right times within the game. We were limited with our chances but we were very clinical when we got them. That’s the sign of a good team.
“Overall we shaded it slightly and we put on a good away performance against a side who will be a threat in every game. The clean sheet was pleasing because it gives you foundations to build on. In the not too distant past a team scoring once against us meant they would go on to produce an avalanche of two, three or four more. That doesn’t happen any more.
“We know there are aspects of our game we still need to improve on but we’ll keep working hard on the training ground to make sure we’re the best we can be. As I’ve said before, we don’t take anything for granted. Being successful comes from hard work and focus.
“The players will enjoy this result but come Monday morning it will be all about getting ready for Hartlepool. There is a fantastic vibe around the group, as you’d expect from a team at the right end of the table, but they know when it’s time to leave that behind and start working. That’s an indication that we have a professional environment and that we’re doing things in the right way.”
United’s second of the day, netted by midfielder Jason Kennedy, dealt a heavy blow to the hosts just as they were looking to pick up the pace and get back into the game.
“Jason scored a great goal and him being where he was to do that is part of his game,” Curle said. “He gets into the box well and he has a technique which means he can score from a variety of situations, including from overhead kicks like that.
“At the beginning of the season he was out of the team but he knew he was part of a squad which had a purpose. He also knew that as and when it was his turn he had to come into the fold and make an impact. His goal today was excellent but his work rate was fantastic. The ground he covers is phenomenal.
“Luke Joyce is another. I can remember some people getting on his back last season. I hope those same people are now giving him a pat on the back because he’s risen to the challenge and he’s enjoying his football.
“We’re a team with goals in it but even more pleasing is that we kept a clean sheet away from home against a resilient Morecambe team. They kept pressing us, even after we’d scored, but we knew we would keep getting opportunities. That was down to getting performances like those we saw from Luke and Jason all over the pitch.”
On the absence of Reggie Lambe, he said: “I got a phone call this morning from the physio to say Reggie had reported in as feeling unwell.
“Neil Dalton’s advice was to keep him away from the group. We are small in number but what we don’t want is for an illness to spread when it doesn’t need to, so we kept him away. Hopefully he’ll recover quickly.”
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