Morecambe boss aiming to down high flyers

The Shrimps, who sit 11th in League Two and three points off the top seven, face a Crewe team in third after seven wins and only one defeat in their last 11 games.

That run includes victories over the top two, Mansfield Town and Stockport County, with Crewe also having the division’s fourth-best home record this season.

What might have slipped under the radar, however, is that Morecambe have League Two’s sixth-best return on the road.

“Well that evens itself out doesn’t it?” the Morecambe boss said on hearing those statistics.

“We aren’t afraid of anyone, so we will go and play in the way that we normally do.

“Crewe are flying. They are a good team, they are well organised, but we have done our homework on them.

“It will be a tough game but every game is going to be tough at this stage of the season.

“If we want to be successful this season – and we do – then we have to go to these places and pick up points.

“We’d been on a decent little run ourselves before losing at Walsall, but we’ve got to take confidence from that and believe in ourselves.”

Morecambe may, nevertheless, have to cope without Jake Taylor tomorrow as the midfielder is reportedly struggling with a virus.

Whoever plays will have the responsibility of trying to ensure the Shrimps don’t have to overturn a deficit yet again.

Last weekend’s draw against Grimsby Town was the 10th league match in 11 where Brannan’s players have shipped the first goal.

While repeating his assertion that it shows Morecambe’s powers of recovery, the boss acknowledged talks have taken place to try and eradicate that habit.

Brannan said: “It’s great they show character but, sooner or later, it’s going to bite you on the backside.

“We were lucky at Tranmere when, if 2-0 down becomes 3-0, it’s game over but we’ve had a chat between us all this week.

“We do keep talking about it but, sometimes, the more you talk the more it happens.”