The Shrimps travel to the capital to face Charlton Athletic at the Valley on Good Friday in Sky Bet League One.
Morecambe remain out of the relegation zone and will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they face the Addicks on Friday. In the Shrimps' last league outing, Sam Smith’s close-range goal was cancelled out when Cole Stockton's 30-yard strike sailed past goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to the post. Moments later, Joe Ironside struck the back of the net from a penalty kick which proved enough for the hosts to take all three points.
Last November marked the first time Morecambe had met with Charlton, and the reverse fixture at the Mazuma Stadium saw the teams walk away with a point each. The Shrimps brought it back from two goals down when Cole Stockton was awarded a penalty and Anthony O’Connor slotted home an Alfie McCalmont cross.
The Opposition
The Addicks head into the game with three wins, one draw and one loss in their last five games. Last weekend saw a 1-0 victory against promotion chasers Rotherham United at the New York Stadium, an assist from Academy graduate Albie Morgan saw the ball played to George Dobson who smashed it into the corner of the net.
Manager Johnnie Jackson came through the ranks at Tottenham Hotspur’s Academy. During his time, he was also on loan at clubs such as Swindon Town, Colchester United, Watford and Derby County. Jackson later returned to Colchester and spent three years with the club, before requesting a transfer ahead of the 2009/10 season. He went on to sign a three-year deal with Notts County before a spell on loan at Charlton Athletic led to a permanent move and eight years with the club.
The former midfielder retired from playing in 2018 and stayed with Charlton as part of their backroom staff. He has taken the role of caretaker manager twice following the departure of Karl Robinson and Nigel Adkins respectively, and in December 2021, it was announced that Jackson would become manager of the first team on a permanent basis.
Key Players
Conor Washington began his career in non-league football with St Ives before joining Newport County in 2012 where he helped them return to the Football League. Washington has played for the likes of Peterborough United, QPR, Sheffield United and Scottish side Heart of Midlothian before arriving at Charlton at the start of their 2020/21 campaign. The striker got his first cap for Northern Ireland in 2016 and has gone on to make 35 appearances for the Green and White Army.
Ben Purrington joined Plymouth Argyle’s Academy when he was nine years old, and went on to sign his first professional contract for the club. In 2017, Purrington moved to Rotherham United and spent time out on loan at AFC Wimbledon, before being recalled by his home club and joining Charlton the same day. He joined until the end of the 2018/19 season, when he made the move permanent and signed a three-year contract.
Midfielder Alex Gilbey progressed through the Academy at Colchester United, joining their Scholars programme and signing for the first team when he was 18-years-old. He made 110 appearances for the Essex-based club and has also played for Wigan Athletic and MK Dons before arriving at the Valley in August 2020.
Pre-Match Thoughts
Ahead of the last four games of the Sky Bet League One season, manager Derek Adams says the Shrimps must be targetting maximum points as draws at this stage of the campaign won't be good enough.
"We've got to win somewhere between now and the end of the season to give ourselves an opportunity of League One football next year," he said.
"Draws are not going to be good enough, four draws in the next four games are not going to be good enough.
"We need to win one of these games at some stage."
Meet the Officials
Marc Edwards will be the man in the middle on Saturday and will be assisted by linesmen Dean Treleaven and Mark Stevens. Andrew Laver will complete the line-up as Fourth Official.
Since the start of the season, the Tyne and Wear-based referee has taken charge of 27 games and has handed out 83 yellow cards and two red cards.
Edwards has previously officiated games for both Morecambe and Charlton. The last time he took charge of the Shrimps was a home clash against Plymouth Argyle in October 2021. The teams took a point each when Jonah Ayunga and Danny Mayor both found the back of the net in the first 15 minutes.
Don’t miss a kick with our iFollow coverage
Can’t make it to the Valley to back the boys against Charlton Athletic on Friday afternoon?
Not a problem! You can stream the action live to your living room with an iFollow Shrimps pass for £10.
You can purchase a pass by clicking here.