We will be looking to bounce back to winning ways on Tuesday 9 April, when we host Crewe Alexandra at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.
Morecambe will be hoping to be third time lucky when they face Crewe Alexandra in a twice rearranged fixture in Sky Bet League Two. It will be the Shrimps third home outing in as many games, after important games against Barrow and Doncaster Rovers.
The Rovers’ visit to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium on Saturday is one that Ged Brannan’s side will be looking to forget sooner rather than later; the home side struggling to get going on a windy spring afternoon. A Luke Molyneux brace and a late Tommy Rowe strike meant the South Yorkshire side travelled home with all three points – three goals to nil the final score.
For Crewe Alexandra, Saturday saw them make the journey north to the Wham Stadium for a clash with Accrington Stanley. Neither side could break the deadlock, and the spoils were ultimately shared, helping Stanley to secure their safety in League Two. The result meant the promotion-chasing Railwaymen have extended their winless run to five games, the Cheshire outfit’s last victory coming on the 12 March when they faced relegation-threatened Sutton United.
Tuesday night’s two sides last met only a month ago, when the Shrimps travelled to the Mornflake Stadium on Saturday 2 March. The Railwaymen took a two-goal lead, and seemed to have a firm grasp on proceedings until Joe Adams pegged one back for the Shrimps in the 69th minute.
Adams nearly came close five minutes later, his shot blocked before winger Jordan Slew drove home the rebound to level the scores. In the 83rd minute, the travelling Shrimps were sent further into raptures, when Farrend Rawson prodded home from a cross to complete a memorable comeback for Morecambe.
The Opposition
Despite their recent winless run, the Railwaymen have undoubtedly had a strong season in their League Two campaign. 18 wins and 13 draws have earned the side 67 points, leaving Lee Bell’s men sixth place in the standings.
Bell, who was recently nominated for Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Year in the 2024 EFL Awards, has been in charge at the Mornflake Stadium since December 2022, after a month-long spell as interim manager.
Bell knows the Railwaymen well, having started his playing career as a product of the Crewe Alexandra academy, and ultimately making over 140 appearances for the side over two spells during his career.
Key Players
Elliott Nevitt leads the goalscoring charts for the Railwaymen, the centre-forward scoring 16 times in his 45 appearances so far this season. The 27-year-old, who scored the opener when the Shrimps visited Cheshire in early March, joined the side in the January of 2023, having spent a spell at Tranmere Rovers.
For the Alex, goals have been coming from all over the pitch, and centre-back Mickey Demetriou is a prime example of this. Demetriou has scored nine and assisted six in his 48 appearances, and has played every minute in all but one of Crewe Alexandra’s League Two fixtures this season.
Ged Brannan’s Pre-Match Thoughts
Morecambe manager Ged Brannan spoke to the press ahead of the Railwaymen's visit to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium. He said:
"No matter what Crewe you play, they're always a top team. They've got a great manager there, he's been nominated for one of the managers of the year.
"He's been fantastic this season, obviously they've not got the biggest budget this season so fair play to him.
"Crewe will be a really hard test for us. They'll pass the ball, they'll press us, they'll be a really good team and it will be hard for us tomorrow."
The Man in the Middle
Scott Oldham will take charge at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium on Tuesday night, the referee officiating his 36th fixture of the season. In his previous 35, Oldham has brandished 112 cards, six of these red and 106 of them yellow.
He is yet to take charge of a match involving the Shrimps this season; the last of such games coming in Ocober in 2022 when Morecambe travelled to Cheltenham Town.
Assistants Kevin Mulraine and Matthew Sowerby will be running the line, with fourth official Steven Rushton completing the team of officials.
Team News
Stu Moore, Donald Love and Brandon Barker remain sidelined for the Shrimps with their respective long-term injuries, while Farrend Rawson and JJ McKiernan both made appearances off the bench on Saturday after periods on the sidelines.
Watch Live!
Those who cannot make it to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium on Tuesday night will be able to follow all the action with an iFollow Shrimps video match pass.
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