Shrimps boss Sammy McIlroy was full of praise for opponents Nottingham Forest after his side bowed out of the Carling Cup in the first round at the City Ground last night.

McIlroy said Forest played some excellent football as they beat the Shrimps 4-0 but the boss believed the scoreline somewhat flattered Colin Calderwood's side.

He said: "I was very impressed with Forest and the side Colin has put together. I like the way they play. Colin has them playing football the right way and we were up against a very, very good side.

"They played some exhibition football at times but it was a good learning curve for our lads and I can only  praise them for the effort they put in. At 1-0 down we actually had a bit of a spell on top at the start of the second half but we just couldn't find that final ball and made a couple of wrong decisions at vital times. It was during that spell that they scored a second and that was the goal that killed the game off really.

"I was disappointed to concede two late goals because that gave the scoreline a bit of a flattering look but there were a lot of positives for me to take from the night. League 2 was always our priority and although we all enjoyed our cup run last year it is the bread and butter of the league that is more important to us.''