The Shrimps welcome AFC Wimbledon to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium on Saturday 28 October in Sky Bet League Two.
Our unbeaten run was extended to seven games following Tuesday night’s 1-0 home win over Tranmere Rovers. Jordan Turnbull headed the ball into the back of his own net following a dangerous Chris Stokes cross.
It was quite the contrast for AFC Wimbledon midweek, they fell to a 4-2 defeat against Accrington Stanley at Cherry Red Records Stadium. Having been three goals down, the Dons came close to completing a comeback after netting twice before Bradley Hills bagged a winner in the closing stages.
Looking back at the 12 previous meetings, it couldn’t be more even with four wins, four draws and four defeats each. Our most recent encounter came in January 2022 where we played out a 0-0 draw in the capital.
The Opposition
Heading into the game, two places and two points separate the sides in the League Two table. The Shrimps sit eighth with 24 points and AFC Wimbledon currently find themselves 10th on 22 points.
The London club have enjoyed a relatively strong start to the season with five wins, seven draws and only three defeats after 15 games played. Of those five victories, four have come away from home alongside four draws and no defeats.
Manager Johnnie Jackson joined the club as manager in May 2022 having previously been in the hot seat at Charlton Athletic. The 41-year-old has taken charge of 73 matches for the Dons, winning 22, drawing 23 and losing 28. Having accumulated a total of 89 points, Jackson’s average points per match total is 1.22.
Key Players
One of AFC Wimbledon's biggest threats so far this season is James Tilley. With eight goals and four assists in all competitions, the 25-year-old has played a vital role in the Dons' attacking play. Tilley also boasts League Two experience having played over 120 games for the likes of Grimsby Town, Crawley Town as well as his current employers.
Former Accrington Stanley man Harry Pell left East Lancashire to join AFC Wimbledon in August 2022, his second spell for the club having spent between 2013 and 2015 in South-West London. An aerial threat given his height, the 32-year-old brings versatility to the squad and can play as a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, second striker or centre forward.
Goalkeeper Alex Bass is currently on a season-long loan from Sunderland, and has kept six clean sheets out of 15 League Two appearances to date this campaign. The 25-year-old was part of Portsmouth's EFL Trophy winning squad of 2018/19 and also won the PFA League One Player of the Month award in February 2020.
Johnnie Jackson Pre-Match Thoughts
Ahead of his side's long trip north, Jackson said their away form can give the AFC Wimbledon players confidence ahead of our Mazuma Mobile Stadium showdown.
Speaking to AFCWimbledon.co.uk, he said: "Morecambe are a tough side and it’s a tough place to go.
"They’re on a decent run of form, but our away form has been really strong. We’ve got lads who are desperate to play, to put things right, and are also in a positive frame of mind when it comes to attacking these away games.
"We'll go up there with full confidence that we can go and get a result, knowing – as always – we’re up against opposition that can cause us problems.
"However, we can do that ourselves, as we’ve shown time and time again."
Team News
James Connolly, Jacob Bedeau and Adam Mayor all miss out through suspension.
Skipper Donald Love is doubtful after his early substitution midweek, whereas Jake Taylor and Stuart Moore remain side-lined with injury.
Meet The Officials
Referee Ed Duckworth will be the man in the middle on Saturday afternoon, he will be joined by assistants Daniel Woodward and Ivan Stankovic alongside fourth official Alex Gray.
Duckworth was promoted from the National League to League’s One and Two during the summer, meaning he’ll be taking charge of the Shrimps for the first time against AFC Wimbledon.
After taking charge of 11 games in all competitions so far this season (League’s One, Two, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy), he has issued a total of 57 yellow cards and one red card to date.
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