The Shrimps are back in action on Tuesday 22 February in Sky Bet League One, as they take on league leaders Rotherham United at the AESEEAL New York Stadium.
Morecambe have had an extended break after Saturday’s game against Shrewsbury Town was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, one of the many clubs who were affected by Storm Eunice’s antics on Friday.
The Shrimps have met Rotherham United in League One, the FA Cup and the League Cup since 1979. In that time, the Clubs have faced each other 16 times, five of those games resulted in a win for the Morecambe, with four draws and seven losses.
Their last meeting with the Millers was the second game of the new season, back in August 2021, where Michael Smith’s long-range effort separated the two sides in their first League One encounter.
The Opposition
Rotherham find themselves at the top of the table and are looking to bounce bounce back after the disappointment of relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season. They have managed eight wins in their last 10 games.
Last time out, the Millers were held to a 1-1 draw at home against fellow promotion-chasing Wigan Athletic, which ended a run of six wins on the spin for Paul Warne’s men.
An early goal from Stephen Humphrys gave the Latics the lead, but Rotherham managed to level the game on the 75th minute when midfielder Oliver Rathbone’s strike rippled the back of the net.
Manager Paul Warne started his professional career at the age of 23, when he signed for Wigan Athletic, before moving to Rotherham in 1999. He went on to play at other clubs, such as Mansfield Town and Oldham Athletic, but returned to the Millers in 2009.
A few years later, Warne retired from professional football and had a short coaching career at Rotherham before being appointed their interim manager following the dismissal of Kenny Jackett.
The Club were relegated from the Championship during the 2016/17 season, but that did not stop the Millers appointing Warne as the first-team manager on a permanent basis, and he has since seen the team promoted back to the Championship during his tenure.
Key Players
Michael Smith is one of the league’s top scorers and has 17 goals to his name so far this season. The 30-year-old forward made his debut in the Football League back in 2010 for Darlington FC. He has since played for clubs such as AFC Wimbledon, Swindon Town, and Portsmouth. Smith arrived at Rotherham in 2018 and has made 173 appearances for the Club.
Growing up as a Leeds fan, Richard Wood soon switched his support to the Owls as he came through the ranks at Sheffield Wednesday. Wood impressed the club so much, he was handed a two-year deal before the completion of his second year Academy scholarship. He has been at the Millers since 2014.
Midfielder Ben Wiles came through the Academy ranks at Rotherham United and has since become one of the leading lights in the Millers’ squad this season. The 22-year-old has made gone onto make 128 appearances for the club in both the Championship and League One.
Meet The Officials
Simon Mather is the man in the middle on Tuesday night and will be assisted by linesmen Thomas Harty and David Hunt. They will be joined by Richard Woodward as Fourth Official.
Since the start of the season, the Mancunian has awarded 99 yellow cards and eight red cards.
This is the first time this season that Mather’s will officiate a game that involves Rotherham, whereas he was the referee that oversaw the Shrimps’ penalty shootout defeat to Hartlepool United in the Papa John’s Trophy at Victoria Park.
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