MORECAME boss Jim Bentley says he is determined to see his side not bow out of the Checkatrade Trophy with a whimper when they meet Sunderland tonight.
The Shrimps are out of the competition after two narrow defeats to Carlisle and Stoke but Bentley insists there is a lot to play for this evening with several players set to stake their claim for a first team place as the club heads for a busy period of games.
He said: “We are out of the competition but I really don’t want to end it with three defeats so we will definitely be taking the game seriously as always.
“We will make some changes because we have to be careful how we manage a few of the lads but there are a number of player chomping at the bit to get some game time and they will get the chance tonight.
“We have a lot of games coming up in the next few weeks so we need to use the squad wisely.’’
Sunderland assistant boss James Fowler has revealed a raft of changes are likely for his side .
The Black Cats head to the Globe Arena a little over 48 hours after their round one Emirates FA Cup tie at Port Vale.
With their Sky Bet League One clash at home to Wycombe Wanderers on the horizon this weekend, assistant manager Fowler has admitted changes are inevitable.
Glenn Loovens has been in the last two squads since returning from injury, so he is likely to get some minutes, while Alim Ozturk, Max Power and Bryan Oviedo also provide Jack Ross other options to choose from.
Fowler also revealed that a host of academy youngsters could feature, after Jack Diamond and Lee Connelly made their debuts in their last group A match in October.
“We are still going there with the intent to win the game,” he said.
“The competition will allow us to change a few players because we have some players who need game time.
“We have had Glenn Loovens back form injury, Bryan Oviedo is there and there’s Alim Ozturk and Max Power who will play.
“We want to go there and win the game. There will be permutations about how the group could pan out but our aim is to win the game and we’ll pick a strong team to do that.
“Our squad will be balanced off with some younger players to get some experience in a competitive environment,” he continued.
“They play in the under-23s but in terms of playing in a competitive game it will allow us to see younger ones and where they are in terms of our short term or long-term project."