Morecambe are back on the road when they travel to Lincoln City in Sky Bet League One on Tuesday 7 February.
The Shrimps will look to return to winning ways after they were unlucky not to claim all three points on Saturday against Bolton Wanderers. Cole Stockton put Morecambe ahead in the 73rd minute before substitute Amadou Bakayoko struck for 10-man Wanderers deep into added time to equalise.
The two teams have met 13 times in the Football League and the Imps have had the upper hand with five victories compared to Morecambe’s three. Five of the meetings have ended with the points shared. In the reverse fixture at the Mazuma Stadium, Morecambe claimed all three points thanks to goals from Cole Stockton and Scott Wootton.
The Opposition
City come into Tuesday’s clash looking to bounce back from two defeats on the spin. Michael Appleton’s men were beaten 2-1 away at MK Dons this weekend and lost by the same scoreline to Burton Albion at the LNER Stadium the week before. They sit 18th in League One, just two points clear of the drop zone.
As a player, Appleton had a brief spell at Lincoln when he joined the club on loan from Manchester United in 1995 before going on to play for Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion. The 46-year-old took temporary charge at the Hawthorns before going on to manage Portsmouth, Blackpool, Blackburn Rovers and Oxford United. Appleton arrived at Lincoln City in September 2019 following the club’s promotion to League One.
Key players
Anthony Scully joined the Imps in February 2020 after coming through West Ham’s Academy. The 22-year-old has scored eight goals so far this season and has contributed with five assists. He also has experience playing for the Republic of Ireland at U17, U19 and U21 level.
Experienced forward Chris Maguire has four goals and five assists for the club so far this season. Starting his career at Aberdeen, where he went on to make over 130 appearances, Maguire went on to play for a number of Clubs including Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford United and Sunderland before joining Lincoln City in the summer.
Teddy Bishop also arrived at the LNER Stadium this summer after spending 17 years at Ipswich Town where he progressed through the club’s Academy. The 25-year-old made over 120 appearances for the Tractor Boys before joining Lincoln City for an undisclosed fee. The midfielder has contributed with three goals and three assists so far this season for the Imps.
Shrimps’ pre-match thoughts
Boss Stephen Robinson said he’s expecting a tough game from a side who ‘play football the right way’.
“I think Lincoln are a good side, they’re a good footballing side, they’ve stuck to their principles throughout the season,” he said.
“Similarly to ourselves, they’ve had a lot of injuries and have been a little bit unfortunate in games but I rate them.
“I think they’ve got an excellent manager in Michael Appleton and David Kerslake his assistant, so it’s going to be a tough game but it’s two sides who play football the right way.”
Meet the officials
Cumbrian-based referee Anthony Backhouse will be the man in the middle on Tuesday night. He will be assisted by linesmen Matthew Smith and Gareth Viccars. Lisa Rashid will be the Fourth Official.
Backhouse has taken charge of 24 matches this season and has handed out a total of 80 yellow cards and one red card.
He last refereed the Shrimps in August when they beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at the Mazuma Stadium.
Don’t miss a kick with our iFollow coverage
Can’t make it to the LNER Stadium to back the boys against Lincoln City on Tuesday night?
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.
Can’t make it to the LNER Stadium to back the boys against Lincoln City on Tuesday night?
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.