Bentley comes up trumps

Jim Bentley was pleased to see his "gamble" pay off after his much-changed Morecambe side ran out 2-0 winners against Hartlepool.

Bentley made six changes to his team following their defeat to Carlisle on Boxing Day and he was repaid with a first win in three attempts. Jack Redshaw was the matchwinner, netting in either half as the Shrimps secured a comfortable win at Victoria Park. Bentley said two games in 48-hours over the festive period was always going to be a challenge. "It was a gamble and it could have backfired," said Bentley. "If we had lost the game everybody would have said 'why have you made six changes?' "I have always said I am not going to get it right every time but I made the changes for the right reasons. "We had two games in less than 48-hours. "You have to have trust in your squad as well and we had lads on the bench who had been thinking they would love to get a game in the festive period. "We made the changes and have come up trumps, we were quite solid and some of our play to start with was excellent." Defeat heaped more misery on Hartlepool, who are now eight points adrift of safety at the bottom of League Two. Manager Ronnie Moore said: "It was gutless. "You can see why we are where we are. "Except for young Dan Jones at the back, that is as bad a performance at home I have seen. "Where is the desire and commitment to chase and harry? "Every game we have come off and I have said the same thing. "I can't blame the crowd for having a go at the players. "It is the first time I have looked at them and thought no wonder we are where we are." He added: "I am the manager of this football club and I can't have that."