We continue our Sky Bet League Two push on Saturday 11 November with a second trip to Lincolnshire in as many weeks to face Grimsby Town.
Morecambe look to carry forward their confidence from Saturday afternoon’s FA Cup First Round clash against Sky Bet League One opposition Lincoln City, where goals from Michael Mellon and Tom Bloxham gave the Shrimps a 2-1 victory.
Meanwhile, Grimsby Town travelled to Berkshire to face Slough Town in their opening fixture of the competition, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by the National League South opposition.
We last travelled to Blundell Park in April 2021, during our run-in from the promotion winning season of 2020/21. The score that day was 3-0 to Morecambe, and the squad will be looking to replicate this success on Saturday.
The Opposition
Heading into Saturday’s game, thirteen points separate the sides, with the Lincolnshire outfit finding themselves 21st in the League Two table.
The fixture will be the first League Two challenge for interim managers Ben Davies and Shaun Pearson, after previous manager Paul Hurst’s departure at the end of October following a shaky start to their campaign.
Key Players
Summer signing Danny Rose has racked up five goals in all competitions this season, including netting the late equaliser against Slough Town at the weekend. The striker signed from Stevenage in June, having made 52 appearances last season in the side’s promotion-winning campaign.
Abo Eisa has also proved an asset for the Mariners, with the winger regularly featuring alongside Rose in the Grimsby Town front line. The 27-year old also joined the Cleethorpes club in the summer, having been released from fellow League Two competitors Bradford City.
These fresh faces on the east coast are joined by fans’ favourite Harry Clifton, who the Shrimps can expect to see in the centre of midfield for Town. Joining the club at U10 level, Clifton came through the youth setup before signing a professional contract with the club in the summer of 2015, now with over 200 caps under his belt for the team in black and white.
The Man in the Middle
Referee Alan Young will take charge at Blundell Park on Saturday, officiating his tenth fixture of the season. In his previous nine games, he has dished out 54 yellow cards and two red cards.
Young last took charge of the Shrimps at Adams Park, as Morecambe faced Wycombe Wanderers during the 22/23 League One campaign.
He will be joined by assistants Joe Simpson and Bradley Hall, alongside fourth official Johnathon Bickerdike.
Shaun Pearson’s Pre-Match Thoughts
Ahead of Saturday’s clash, joint-interim manager Shaun Pearson said his side can expect a difficult encounter against Derek Adams' men.
Speaking to Grimsby Town's YouTube channel, he said: “They've got a good manager at this level, some good players, good individual players.
"They're well organised, definitely behind the ball, and they carry a threat in certain situations.
"I think they show what you can be in this division at the minute, they're mixing with the heavyweights so to speak, they're bang in there and doing really well."
Team News
Jake Taylor and Stuart Moore remain side-lined for the Shrimps, still on the mend from their respective injuries.
Aside from Taylor and Moore, defender Chris Stokes could miss out through injury.
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