Bentley taking the positives from Luton defeat

The visiting Shrimps were having their best spell of the game just before Johnny Mullins popped up with the 64th minute winner, as keeper Marek Stech was called upon to make two excellent saves from Adam McGurk.

Despite falling behind, Morecambe almost salvaged a point with Kevin Ellison having two good opportunities and Steven Old heading wide late on, with the long-serving chief said: “In the second half we took the game to them.

“McGurk’s had a couple of great chances but it just didn’t fall for us. There was a ricochet and the next thing the keeper has just turned it around the post when you want it to go in the opposite direction and that little bit of luck that you need in the 18-yard box.

“Johnny Mullins has got the winning goal and Sam’s (Lavelle) assigned to him and he’s held his hand up.

“It’s a learning curve for him, he’s done well since he’s come into the side and he’ll be the one that will go home and take it on the chin because it was his man.

“There’s a little catalogue (of errors) leading up to that. The backpass was sloppy, the kick wasn’t great, it was never a foul against Andrew Fleming but I’m not going to get involved in that side of things.

“For everything we put in, we deserved something from this game but it wasn’t to be.

“We wish Luton all the best. We kept them to a 0-0 at home and we’ve come here and should’ve taken something from the game.

“They’re the top side in the league, so we’ve got to take the positives that, if we can live with them, we can live with anyone.

“I’m really proud of the lads, I won’t have any negativity towards them because we’ve put a right shift.”