A trip to the capital awaits as we make the journey to south-west London to face AFC Wimbledon.
Morecambe will be hoping to make it four wins in four as they visit the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Saturday 17 February to face AFC Wimbledon in a Sky Bet League Two clash.
The Shrimps have been in good form recently, especially away from home, and they will no doubt be hoping to keep this up when they make the journey to SW11. On Tuesday night, Ged Brannan’s side visited Prenton Park for their fixture against Tranmere Rovers. The hosts came flying out of the blocks and were two goals to the good after only 10 minutes, leaving Morecambe with work to do. Charlie Brown ignited the Shrimps’ comeback, the forward turning and finishing in clinical fashion to peg one back for the visitors. With eight minutes left on the clock, Jordan Slew levelled proceedings after a great team move sparked by Slew himself, his cross-field diagonal ball finding Joe Adams before a Joel Senior cross found the thigh of Slew.
The travelling Shrimps’ fans seemed elated with the comeback they had witnessed but were sent further into raptures in the 95th minute when substitute Jacob Davenport hit his 30-yard free-kick into the top corner to score his first goal for the club – the cherry on the top of a memorable comeback.
The Wombles were not far away in their midweek fixture, the Merton outfit making the journey north to visit Accrington Stanley. Two second-half goals from the hosts meant AFC Wimbledon left the Wham Stadium empty-handed.
Saturday’s two sides last met in October 2023, when the Wombles made the trip to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium. A hat-trick from Michael Mellon and a Joe Lewis own goal helped the Shrimps to a 4-1 victory, Armani Little’s 72nd minute goal proving nothing more than a consolation.
The Opposition
AFC Wimbledon’s League Two campaign has not been dissimilar to Morecambe’s, the Wombles finding themselves with 12 wins and 10 draws, equalling the 46 points that the Shrimps have to their name. This total leaves Johnnie Jackson’s side in 10th position, one place above Morecambe as a result of their goal difference.
Jackson has been at the helm at the Cherry Red Records Stadium since May 2022, following the club’s relegation from Sky Bet League One. The 41-year-old had retired from playing in 2018, following an eight-year spell at Charlton Athletic.
Key Players
Right winger James Tilley leads the scoring charts for the Wombles, with 12 goals in his 37 appearances in all competitions. Tilley made the move to the Cherry Red Records Stadium in the summer, after spending time at Crawley Town.
Centre-forward Omar Bugiel has also been an important part of AFC Wimbledon’s campaign so far, the 30-year-old scoring seven and assisting three in his 35 appearances.
Ged Brannan’s Pre-Match Thoughts
Morecambe manager Ged Brannan spoke on the confidence within the camp at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium ahead of Saturday's trip.
"It doesn't matter who we're playing at the minute," he said. "We're full of confidence. The lads know that if they well and work really hard they are a match for anyone in this league."
"We've shown that, but Saturday is going to be a really, really tough game. We're going to be have to be on the top of our game to get the three points."
"They've got great home form, but we've got good away form, so it will be a good game."
The Man in the Middle
Neil Hair will take charge at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, officiating his 21st game of the season. In his previous 20, Hair has brandished a total of 75 cards, constituting of 71 yellows and a further four reds.
Three of those yellows came in October, when the Shrimps made the trip to the capital to face Sutton United. A late Joel Senior strike secured a 3-2 victory for Morecambe, contributing to scenes in the away end not unlike those at Prenton Park on Tuesday night.
Shaun Farrer and Alan Cresswell will run the line on Saturday afternoon, with Leigh Crowhurst acting as fourth official.
Team News
Stu Moore, Donald Love, JJ McKiernan and Brandon Barker are the long-term absentees for the Shrimps, with no other injury problems reported in the squad.
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