The Shrimps are in Emirates FA Cup action on Saturday 6 November when they host Newport County in the First Round of the competition at the Mazuma Stadium.
Morecambe will look to bounce back after a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday night against Cambridge United in Sky Bet League One. Ben Worman opening the scoring with a stunning volley in the first-half before Joe Ironside’s second-half spot-kick wrapped up the points for the U’s.
The two sides will meet for the first time since they did battle in the League Two Play-Off Final, which saw the Shrimps win promotion to League One thanks to an extra-time penalty which was put away by Carlos Mendes Gomes. In total, the two sides have met 17 times and the Shrimps have the upper hand with eight victories compared to County’s five.
The Opposition
Form Guide
The Exiles are currently 8th in Sky Bet League Two and come into Saturday’s game unbeaten in four. They will be full of confidence after thrashing Stevenage 5-0 at the weekend.
Last month, James Rowberry was appointed County boss after leaving his role as first team coach at Cardiff City. The 36-year-old cut his playing career short at the age of 21 to focus on his coaching after playing youth football for Bristol City and Newport County. At just 29, he gained his UEFA Pro Licence and spent time coaching at his hometown club Newport before joining Cardiff. The Exiles have climbed five places in League Two since Rowberry’s arrival and will be aiming for League One football once more next season.
Last season, County reached the third round of the Emirates FA Cup where they were eventually knocked out by Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties at Rodney Parade. Solly March thought he’d won it for the Premier League club in the 90th minute, however Adam Webster’s 96th minute own goal forced extra-time which delivered no winner, therefore the game was decided from the penalty spot and Brighton won 4-3.
James Rowberry’s pre-match thoughts
Exiles' manager James Rowberry says he's excited to manage his first ever FA Cup game and that his side must prepare well if they're to get a result at the Mazuma.
"Our focus is purely on what we do, we just take each game on its merits and we develop and keep maintaining our standards that we've shown in the last two games," Rowberry said.
"We've got to remember that Morecambe are a division above so we're the underdog in this game. We give it the preparation it deserves.
"I love the FA Cup, I can't wait for it. It's my first game as a manager in the FA Cup and I can't wait for it, it's a great day."
"We've got to remember that Morecambe are a division above so we're the underdog in this game. We give it the preparation it deserves.
"I love the FA Cup, I can't wait for it. It's my first game as a manager in the FA Cup and I can't wait for it, it's a great day."
County’s key players
24-year-old Dominic Telford has started the season strongly, scoring nine goals and providing one assist in all competitions. Three of those goals were scored on Saturday after he netted a hat-trick against Stevenage. After progressing through the youth setup at Blackpool, the striker went on to represent Stoke City, Bristol Rovers, Bury and Plymouth Argyle before joining the Exiles in January 2021.
Courtney Baker-Richardson joined Newport County from League Two side Barrow after a loan spell one division below in the National League with Barnet. The 25-year-old has netted four goals so far this campaign.
A man who needs no introduction to Shrimps fans, Kevin Ellison is still playing his part for Newport at the age of 42. He played over 350 games for the Shrimps between 2011-2020 and left the club in June 2020 after he was released by Derek Adams.
Shrimps’ pre-match thoughts
Manager Stephen Robinson said the fans deserve a cup run, however the main aim is to make sure the Shrimps stay in the division.
“We want to progress as far as we possibly can, I know what cup runs can do for clubs, we got to two cup finals with Motherwell,” he said.
“It lifted the profile of the football club; it raised a lot of money that allows you to build on the success and it put players to the fore.
“It certainly is a shop window and puts you in the spotlight which teams like Lincoln have done before and Morecambe last year, unfortunately without any fans.
“The fans deserve a little run, we’ll be doing everything in our power to do that, ultimately my main aim this season is to make sure we stay in this division.”
Meet the men in black
The man in the middle will be West-Yorkshire based Tom Nield with assistants Robert Atkins and Mark Jones running the line, Richard Holmes will be the fourth official.
Nield is in his fifth season as an EFL referee and has officiated 12 games so far this season. The last time he was in charge of the Shrimps was on 21 August when they lost 2-1 away at Gillingham.
Don’t miss a kick with our iFollow coverage
Joining host Dave Salmon is the club’s media assistant Matt Smith, iFollow audio passes are available from as little as £2.50 per match, £4.49 for a monthly pass or £45 for a season pass.
As well as full match commentary, the ‘Shrimps Verdict’ podcast will be available post-match, featuring online, on demand content, including audio match highlights, post-match interviews and reaction, and the chance for supporters to have their say.
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