Morecambe’s victory against Bradford wasn’t enough to see them automatically promoted from League Two

Despite a controlled, professional victory, Morecambe had to watch on as Bolton and Cambridge pipped them to automatic promotion from League Two.

The Shrimps commanded the fixture and the three points were never in doubt with Liam McAlinden placing home a tidy opener before Cole Stockton latched on to some individual brilliance from Carlos Mendes Gomes to seal the 2-0 victory.

Elsewhere, Cambridge and Bolton quickly made light work of their opponents to seal their place in League One but from then on Morecambe were keen on taking momentum into the playoffs where they later found out they would take on Tranmere in the semi-finals.

Throughout the game, the quality that has taken Morecambe to the heights of third place was evident.

Carlos Mendes Gomes, who came back into the side following his recent absence, quickly got back to his best with his silky dribbling exploits enough to get any fan off of their seat.

But the key man that stood out throughout most of the encounter was Sam Lavelle.

Lavelle is still a young lad aged 24 but he proves quality beyond his years both on and off the ball.

He put in a number of last ditch tackles that, was anybody else in that position, they may well have resulted in Bradford goals as the visitors started the more progressive of the two and played the ball well on the ground throughout.

Not only were his defensive exploits up to the calibre of a player beyond this level, his captaincy and communication was paramount in everything Morecambe did well on Saturday.

Constantly organising the defence, pushing for his side to press with more intensity and coaching others through the fixture, he set the tone that, given results elsewhere, this game was not going to turn into a non-event.

The professionalism throughout this Morecambe side is testament to the job Derek Adams has done by the seaside.

Right up until the end his side were wanting to push for more goals, with the same intensity that they had in their play when the chance of promotion was still a realistic possibility.

Cole Stockton put in a solid, well-rounded performance up top and he provides a great deal in terms of making the ball stick in the forward line.

His understanding with the likes of Mendes Gomes as the highly impressive Liam McAlinden makes the way Morecambe operate a very fluid endeavour.

Elsewhere, in the central midfield the balance of Toumani Diagouraga and Yann Songo’o enables Morecambe to trust in taking risks in forward areas, knowing that the midfield pairing are there to clean up when necessary.

But they offer so much more than that.

Diagouraga’s technical work on the ball was pivotal in Morecambe opening the scoring and Songo’o offered a calmness on the ball that allowed the Shrimps to control proceedings.

Liam McAlinden is not a name that is consistently mentioned when it comes to Morecambe’s campaign in League Two so far but he put in a lively shift as he looks to cement a place in the side ahead of the semi-finals.

His opener was a cool finish but added on to that was his drive and purpose in attacking areas that allowed his side the option of another dimension on the counter-attack, offering sheer pace and drive out wide.

Morecambe are without a doubt the strongest side in the playoffs in the division both individual and as a unit, but most importantly they have kept the momentum and consistency when many felt they were ready to drop off.

They will have a number of tough shifts coming up but the relentlessness and togetherness of this squad will undoubtedly see them well in the post-season fixtures.

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