The Fishy - Grimsby Town FC

Question of the Week

Who will go down?







The Road to Wembley
The Road to Wembley

Morecambe v Grimsby Preview

By: Alex Green
Date: 07/11/2008

BELATED welcome to one and all, Town face Morecambe again in a cup game, which will hopefully prove a welcome distraction from the league, an economic crisis, hardly any pies on sale and a ground, which has taken to demolishing itself.

Home > 2008-2009 Season > Previews > Morecambe (a)


The Opposition

Overview

Well Morecambe are situated in the same area as they were last time they played us but all our houses are worth a little less since last time we met in September. The 1-1 draw came after Buckley’s brief but enjoyable purple patch when most Mariners fans actually believed the team was coming together and playing some good stuff with ever encouraging performances. Alas of course it wasn’t to be and this game was the first in charge without the legend. Watkiss was bought in as replacement and Town fended off the Shrimpers well. A 10th minute penalty by Till gave The Mariners their 3rd goal of the season and nearly their first win until Curtis snatched an equaliser for the home team with just 15 minutes remaining. Morecambe lay 17th and with just two wins at home in the league and none away it is of concern to McIllroy who would have hoped to have been better placed by now. The 1-0 win at home to Shrewsbury was cause for optimism in the early part of the season but 10 games without a win followed and was only ended last week against newly promoted Aldershot. In the cups Morecambe found themselves on the wrong side of a 4-0 pummelling against rock bottom Forest in the Carling Cup. In the Paint Pot The Shrimpers found themselves in the third round after despatching both Oldham and Chester on penalties.

The Team
McIllroys signings over the summer consisting of Diarmuid O’Carroll from Celtic, Neil Wainwright from Darlington and both Rene Howe (Peterborough, above) and Ryan McGivern (Man City) on loan. Dan Smith who travelled the long distance from Plymouth to come on loan left exactly a month after joining starring in just 2 appearances both off the bench the young English midfielder will hope to find more luck of first team football elsewhere. Whether it be financially or for tactical reason McIllroy has kept the same size squad as last year and would have hoped a similar size squad would be easier to gel with the same back bone as the season prior. 11th place is always difficult for a new team to continue from their first season, that winning momentum has all but disappeared and Morecambe will hope to avoid the second season syndrome and fall deeper towards Luton and ourselves.


One to Watch
Wayne Curtis. With both Twiss and Howe out of the match on Saturday Curtis who has scored his only goal of the season against Town will be expected to do so again. Making over 200 appearances for Morecambe since joining from non league Barrow in 1997 the experienced striker has been able to make the leap up from non league to league but not entirely convincingly y scoring only 2 goals last year meaning he could quite happily fit in with our strikers of late.

Recent Form

TownMorecambe
LDarlington(h)1-2
LDagenham(a)0-4
LBradford(h)1-3
DLuton(h)2-2
DExeter(a)0-0
Currently 22nd in League Two.
LTranmere (JPT)(a)0-1
WAldershot(h)2-0
DAccrington(h)1-1
LPort Vale(a)1-2
LBrentford(a)1-3
Currently 17th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownMorecambe
North2
Till2
Hegarty2
Drummond4
Howe4

Team News

TownMorecambe

  • Skipper Matt Heywood is doubtful after missing training all week with injury. Rob Atkinson and Rob Hope are both available to replace him in the back four.

  • New signing Adam Proudlock should start up front. His partner could be any one of North, Jarman or Bore.
  • Morecambe are decimated by injuries. Rene Howe, Wayne Curtis, Matty Blinkhorn, Michael Twiss, Garry Hunter, Michael Carr and Michael Howard are all out, with a virus forcing on-loan McGivern off and a groin strain Stanley.
  • Squads

    TownMorecambe
    1GKPhil Barnes
    2DFRobbie Stockdale
    3DFTom Newey
    4DFRyan Bennett
    5DFMatthew Heywood (c)
    6DFRichard Hope
    7MFPeter Till
    8MFPaul Bolland
    ?MFAdam Proudlock
    10MFChris Llewellyn
    11MFDanny Boshell
    12DFJamie Clarke
    13GKGary Montgomery
    14MFJames Hunt
    15DFMatthew Bird
    16MFJean-Paul Kalala
    17MFNick Hegarty
    18MFPeter Bore
    19FWDanny North
    20FWAndy Taylor
    22FWNathan Jarman
    23MFGrant Normington
    24MFLiam Trotter
    25MFRob Atkinson
    27GKLeigh Overton
    1GKBarry Roche
    3DFMichael Howard
    4DFDavid Artell
    5DFJim Bentley (captain)
    6MFCraig Stanley
    7FWMichael Twiss
    8MFGarry Hunter
    9FWWayne Curtis
    10FWRene Howe (on loan from Peterborough United)
    11MFNeil Wainwright
    14FWDiarmuid O'Carroll
    15MFFraser McLachlan
    16MFStewart Drummond
    17FWAaron Taylor
    18FWPaul Lloyd
    19MFRyan McCann
    21FWMatthew Blinkhorn
    22DFAndy Parrish
    23DFHenry McStay
    24MFMatthew Bell
    25DFDanny Adams
    30GKScott Davies
    TBAMFDan Smith (on loan from Plymouth Argyle)

    Head to Head

    Town have lost just once in the six fixtures between the two clubs to date.

    P 6 W 2 D 3 L 1 F 8 A 4

    Morecambe Head-to-Head (12th on The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    Morecambe 1 Grimsby 1 (Sat 20th September 2008)

    Town took a first half lead but in the end had to cling on for a draw.

    Report

    Prediction

    Town will take advantage of Morecambe's injuries as the effect of the new signings start to kick in.

    Morecambe 0-2 Grimsby Town

    Reader's POMs

    Add To Facebook


    This site is by the fans, for the fans, and we will consider articles on any subject relating to the Mariners whether it be related to current news, a nostalgic look back in the past, a story about a player, a game or games in the past, something about Blundell Park or football in general. Click here to submit your article!


    Related Stories


    Forum Latest
    Thread TitlePostsLatest Post
    Twenty First Group / Overseas Market31jimgtfc28/03 11:16
    Youth players out on loan9sam gy28/03 10:57
    Prediction Thread Barrow A24RonMariner28/03 09:45
    New Training Ground.!!46DB28/03 09:04
    "Beat the Clock"  Barrow21gobby28/03 08:32
    TV Games/Upcoming Fixtures4SiteBot28/03 03:30
    Scunthorpe.4,342diehardmariner27/03 21:32
    Just Back 159HerveJosse27/03 19:31
    Bradford KO time?3mimma27/03 16:58
    Barrow22BAFC7227/03 16:57