Match Preview | Accrington Stanley (H)

29 December 2022

Morecambe end 2022 at the Mazuma Stadium on Thursday 29 December with a clash against Lancashire rivals Accrington Stanley in Sky Bet League One.

Last time out on Boxing Day, Morecambe were beaten away from home by Port Vale. Despite defeat, Derek Adams side are unbeaten at home in four. The Shrimps' last home game was a 1-1 draw against Exeter City at the beginning of December.

Accrington were also in action on Boxing Day, they picked up a point in a 1-1 draw with Barnsley at the Wham Stadium.

The Opposition

Stanley currently sit 20th in League One and after 21 games, they’ve picked up five wins, seven draws and nine defeats.

Accrington have been in the third tier since they won the League Two title in 2018. In their first season in League One, Stanley finished 14th. Since then, they’ve had solid midtable finishes in 17th, 11th and 12th in the past three seasons, excluding the 2019-20 season cut short by COVID.

Manager John Coleman is currently enjoying his second spell in the dugout at the Wham Stadium having previously managed Accrington between 1999 and 2012, taking charge of over 500 games. Since his return to Stanley in 2014, he has managed 438 games with a win percentage of 40%.

Key Players

Midfielder Ethan Hamilton is Accrington’s top scorer this season with five goals. Hamilton’s most recent goal contribution in the league was a late equaliser in Stanley’s 1-1 draw with Oxford at the beginning of the month. The Scotsman is enjoying life in Lancashire and is already close to equalling and surpassing his tally of six goals in the last campaign.

Sean McConville is one of the first names that comes to mind when you think of Accrington Stanley. Like his manager, McConville is also in his second spell at the club. The Liverpudlian was at Accrington between 2008 and 2011 before re-signing for Stanley in 2015, and has been there ever since. The 33-year-old has been one of Accrington’s main threats so far this season with four goals and three assists.

Forward Sean Whalley made the move north to Lancashire in the summer after seven years with Shrewsbury Town. During his time with Salop, Whalley played in a League One play-off final, a Papa Johns Trophy final and thought he’d scored against his beloved Liverpool at Anfield before the goal was chalked off by VAR in 2020. The 25-year-old has had a positive campaign since making the move, with four goals and two assists to his name so far this season.

John Coleman’s Pre-Match Thoughts

Accrington boss John Coleman said he is expecting an entertaining game at the Mazuma Stadium on Thursday night.

Speaking on the Accrington YouTube channel, he said: “The fans will come out in numbers from both sections.

“They’re generally good games against Morecambe, they’re generally entertaining games.

“I’ve got a lot of affection for Morecambe from my playing days there.”

Team News

Shrimps boss Derek Adams will be without Jake Taylor who has been sidelined from four to five weeks with a thigh injury.

He also confirmed that a few niggles were picked up from Boxing Day's visit to Port Vale.

Ash Hunter and Courtney Duffus remain sidelined with long term injuries.

Meet The Officials

Sebastian Stockbridge will be in charge of Thursday night’s game. He will be assisted by Matthew Parry and Blake Antrobus with fourth official Jonathan Hunt completing the line up.

Stockbridge has taken charge of six League One games, five in League Two and two in the Papa Johns Trophy, FA Cup and Carabao Cup respectively.

The official last refereed Morecambe back in August when the Shrimps drew 1-1 at home to Fleetwood Town.

Admission

Tickets remain on sale for the derby, both online and via the club shop, which will open at 12pm on the day of the game. Visit here for full details

Watch The Match Live

If you're not attending the fixture in person, you can purchase a match pass to watch all of the action live via iFollow Shrimps. Simply click below for full details on how to purchase a match pass.

Match Reports

Report | Morecambe 2 Accrington Stanley 0

29 December 2022

It was a night to remember on Thursday evening, as Morecambe signed off 2022 with a convincing 2-0 win over Lancashire rivals Accrington Stanley.

The Shrimps were worthy of the three points, with goals from Liam Shaw and Jensen Weir securing the win in front of over 4,000 supporters.

It was an even opening to the half, as both sides were looking to impose themselves on one another. Accrington saw an effort cleared off the line by Cole Stockton early on, as the visitors corner into the six yard box caused havoc for the Shrimps defence, but Stockton did well to clear off the line.

At the other end, Liam Gibson tried his luck following a goal mouth scramble in the Stanley box, with the ball falling kindly for the Shrimps' number four, but his effort was blocked on it's way to goal.

The Shrimps were growing into the match and were looking confident both in and out of possession. They took the lead just after 30 minutes, as Cole Stockton did brilliantly well to keep hold of the ball and switch the play to the opposite side to Liam Shaw who shot into the box and fired an effort into the far corner.

Morecambe were looking impressive and were oozing confidence. They doubled their lead ten minutes later, as Jensen Weir slid home a first-time finish into the back of the net, after Ryan Cooney teed him up perfectly.

The Shrimps were worthy of a comfortable lead at the break, and went in at half-time two to the good.

Half-time: Morecambe 2 Accrington Stanley 0

The Shrimps were looking good for their lead early in the second half, as Accrington were struggling to break the hosts down.

Adam Mayor saw his effort from long-range held well by the Stanley goalkeeper, whilst Kieran Phillips got himself in a good position in the box midway through the second half, but some good defending ushered him out of the way for a shot on goal.

Joe Pritchard thought he'd found a goal for Stanley on 65 minutes, but Connor Ripley did well to make the save.

The likes of Arthur Gnahoua and Caleb Watts were introduced by Derek Adams, as Morecambe looked to finish the game off in style, with Cole Stockton looking for a spectacular late goal to complete the win, but all of the damage was done in the first half as Morecambe secured a first league win since October on derby day, and signed off 2022 in pleasing style.

Full-time: Morecambe 2 Accrington Stanley 0

Morecambe: Ripley, Melbourne (Mayor, 43'), Gibson, Rawson, Delaney, Stockton, Weir, Bedeau (Watts, 80'), Shaw, Cooney, Phillips (Gnahoua, 72').

Subs not used: Smith, Fane, Connolly, O'Connor.

Goals: Shaw (33') Weir (43')

Bookings: Bedeau

Red cards:

Accrington Stanley: Savin, Clark, Hamilton, Astley (Adekoye 59'), Coyle (Martin, 88'), Whalley (Woods 59'), Leigh, Pritchard (Nolan, 89'), Longelo (McConville, 72'), Rodgers, Conneely.

Subs not used: Jensen, Perritt, Martin.

Goals:

Bookings: Pritchard

Red cards:

Attendance: 4191 (500 away)