SHRIMPS manager Sammy McIlroy was seething after his side failed to end their Christie Park campaign on a high note, as the Imps grabbed the points.

Morecambe produced one of their best performances in recent weeks but wasted a host of chances to win the game – something that infuriated boss McIlroy.

Clearly not content with his side simply seeing the season out, McIlroy was furious that they spurned a host of chances to win the game.

He said: "Two of their players came off the pitch saying it was a smash and grab and I'm sick of players from other sides saying that.

"We play all the football and they take the three points and that is just not good enough. I am sick of saying it because I am repeating myself week in week out but this is a game I can't believe we lost.

"If the game had finished 10-4 to us I think that would have been a fairer reflection but we have lost again and it's unbelievable.

"I thought we were very bright and played better than we have done at home for a while but we just can't take our chances.

"We should have been 4-1 up at the break and instead we found ourselves 1-0 down. It's the same old story."

He added: "It's a shame how the season has fizzled out because I though we deserved to be a top 10 side and it doesn't look as though that is going to happen now and that is entirely our own fault.

"This game showed ourshortcomings in the second half of the season because Lincoln should have been out of sight."

McIlroy said the end of season run, which has seen his side pick up just 26 points from the last 24 games, has made it clear he needs to make changes in the summer.

He said: "This squad has done really well but I think the flaws have been seen over the last couple of months and there is no way we can make the mistakes all over the field that we have made recently.

"I will never question the desire of the lads but we have to be more ruthless if we are to make an impression at this level.''

The first chance was spurned after just two minutes when Matty Blinkhorn lofted over the bar from the edge of the area, after shaky Lincoln keeper Ayden Duffy dropped the ball.

Blinkhorn dragged a shot wide after latching on to Craig Stanley's fine ball and was then unlucky to see a shot on the turn cleared off the line by Adie Moses.

Carl Baker was also causing problems and he also almost caught Duffy out with a 30 yard chip that just cleared the crossbar and saw a goalbound shot beaten away for a corner.

But then, as has happened all too often this season, the Shrimps were carved open on the break as Gary King found Ben Wright in acres of space and he stroked the ball confidently passed Scott Davies.

The Morecambe keeper did well to turn away a Martin Pembleton volley at the start of the second half but then Morecambe took charge again with Craig Stanley seeing a shot from an acute angle cleared off the line by Gary Croft.

Baker then saw a shot beaten away by Dufy and Blinkhorn's frustrations grew with a sweet curler, which beat Duffy but hit the post.

Unlike the first half though Lincoln had a goal threat in the second period with Pembleton missing a glorious chance to convert Louis Dodds's cross just before the hour.

Their pressure paid off a second time when full-back Paul Green was allowed space in the box to cut in from wide right and score past Davies with his left foot.

Dodds hit the hit the post for Lincoln before Morecambe scored a late consolation, as Blinkhorn ended the day on a high note with a goal three minutes into injury time.

Morecambe: Davies 7, McStay 6, Artell 6, Bentley 6, Adams 6, Thompson 7 (Newby 79), Stanley 6, Hunter 7, Baker 7, Twiss 6 (Curtis 68), Blinkhorn 6.

Booked: McStay.
Lincoln City: Duffy, Green, Moses (Hone 67), Beevers, Croft, Dodds, King (N'Guessan 87), Pembleton (Clarke 59), Frecklington, Forrester, Wright.
Booked: Moses, Beevers.
Attendance: 2,762.
Referee: S Cook.
Starman: Garry Hunter – covered every blade of grass.
Match sponsor: Masterblock