SHRIMPS boss Jim Bentley said his side’s final pre season game was the “perfect’’ preparation ahead of Saturday’s League 2 opener at Fleetwood.
Bentley always likes to end the pre season with a tough test and he certainly got that in the tough 3-1 against Joey Barton’s strong League 1 side.
He said: “I have to give credit to Fleetwood. I thought they were excellent and they gave us a proper good game.
“We did want a test and we certainly got that.
“I thought it was competitive at times, we have had plenty of football recently when we have had the lion share of possession and momentum going forward but on Saturday we had to dig in at times and really battle away to try and contain a very good Fleetwood side.
“Pre-season is about getting the minutes in and getting back to what you are doing.
“Large spells of this pre-season has been about on the ball and scoring good goals, plenty of them.
“But Saturday was more about a defensive showing.
“Not to say we did not create enough chances, we certainly created plenty and decent enough chances, scoring one.
“It was a proper tough game, what we needed.
“There were some good signs and some indifferent signs but that is pre-season, it is a work in progress and we will take what we need to out of it and put it all into practice this week ready for the Crewe game on Saturday.”