Preview: Morecambe

11 March 2022

Cheltenham Town head to Lancashire on Saturday to take on Morecambe (kick-off: 3pm).

It's a second away fixture this week as the Shrimps provide the opposition with ten matchdays left to go in this season's League One campaign.

Both teams require points and there's still a huge amount to play for. For Cheltenham the aim is to get to the required points total to confirm a place in next season's division as soon as possible, while for Morecambe they are desperate to climb away from relegation trouble.

Saturday's game will be the first ever League One meeting between the clubs at Morecambe's Mazuma Stadium home.

Team news

After Ellis Chapman (pictured) returned to the squad on Tuesday there are no new faces expected to be back involved.

It means Conor Thomas, Charlie Brown, Dan Nlundulu and George Lloyd will continue to miss out as they all continue their recovery from injuries.

Media talk

From previous visits, Michael Duff is aware of how difficult a place to visit Morecambe can be.

"It's a tough place to go and we've just been on a winless run as well and we didn't think we were doing that bad," he said on Thursday in the club's press conference. "They've got quality as well. They're quite happy to give the ball up but they get the ball into Cole Stockton who has obviously been the platform and they get really good runners off him."

Alfie May is also expecting a Morecambe side doing everything to get much needed points.

"They are fighting for each other, they are fighting for the manager, they are fighting for the club to stay in this League," he said when speaking to the media. "There are people running around doing the hard work and it is going to be a really tough game so it's important that we prepare right and prepare at what is coming to come for us."

Opposition

Conceding a goal late in stoppage time on Tuesday at Bolton Wanderers denied Morecambe what would have been their first win in League One since January.

They are in the bottom four but out of the four teams currently in the drop zone currently look the most likely to get themselves out of trouble as they aim to extend their first ever experience of League One beyond just the single season.

Their biggest threat on Saturday is powerful front man Cole Stockton who has 22 goals to his name in all competitions this season.

Stockton is one of a few players from last season's squad who helped them clinch promotion. Others include ex-Brentford midfielder Toumani Diagouraga who is another strong physical player. Burnley loanee Adam Phillips spent one half of last season in their promotion squad last term, while midfielder Aaron Wildig is also a key part of their set-up still however went off early on Tuesday night.

Robins fans will be familiar with Trevor Carson who is on loan from Dundee United. The goalkeeper spent the 2014/15 campaign at Cheltenham and another ex-Robin in their ranks is attacker Courtney Duffus who came through the youth system at the club before being sold to Everton.

The manager: Derek Adams

Less than a year after leaving for Bradford City, Scotsman Derek Adams is back in charge at Morecambe as he hopes to guide them to League One safety.

The 46-year-old helped the Shrimps earn promotion to the third tier for the first time last season after an impressive campaign via the play-offs. He then departed immediately though to return to League Two when he was appointed Bradford manager, however he left the Bantams in February.

Previously he has also managed Plymouth Argyle and had two spells in charge at Ross County after a playing career where he featured as a midfielder for the likes of Motherwell, Aberdeen and Livingston.

Previous meeting

The first ever League One clash between Cheltenham and Morecambe took place at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium with the Robins coming out on top thanks to two second half goals from Kyle Joseph.

Liam Sercombe's volley inside the box gave Cheltenham the lead, but it was cancelled out by Adam Phillips' free kick.

Swansea City loanee Joseph then stepped up to score two goals in three minutes midway through the second period to complete a win that put Cheltenham 12th in the table.

Tickets & travel

You can buy tickets on the day at Morecambe though it's advised by the Shrimps that you arrive early to purchase due to demand on their ticket office.

For fans who have bought tickets through Cheltenham but not collected - you can collect on the day at Morecambe.

If you've booked on the Travel Club coach then it departs from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium at 9.30am.

You can read a matchday guide here on the Morecambe website.

Coverage

Social media: Keep a track of the game on socials by following @CTFCofficial on Twitter and by accessing the club's Facebook page and Instagram account

Listen: You can purchase an iFollow audio pass for £2.50 to hear full match commentary

Website: Post-game read the match report on the club website where you can also view the post-match interviews

Highlights: Watch extended highlights on iFollow with shorter highlights available on YouTube, Sky Sports and Quest

Match Reports

Report & highlights: Morecambe 1-3 Robins

12 March 2022

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Morecambe v Cheltenham Town - Extended highlights - Sat 12th March 2022

Extended highlights of Morecambe v Cheltenham Town, Sat 12th March 2022 in the Sky Bet League One

Cheltenham Town took a giant step towards League One safety with this invaluable win in Morecambe.

This was not an occasion for the puirists by any means with the Shrimps battling for League One survival but Michael Duff named a side built for the challenge and it paid dividends, picking up a third win on the road this term.

Succesful afternoons here have been few and far between in recent times with ten previous league visits yielding just two wins but their experience and physicality told, Liam Sercombe setting them on their way with a goal on the stroke of half-time.

Within seconds of the restart, Callum Wright had extended the lead with his sixth of the season but the home side responded and got one of their own to give themselves an outside chance of a comeback.

Duff though made the changes to take the sting out of the occasion and in the end, the man-of-the-moment Alfie May put the contest beyond doubt ten minutes from time.

"It was the first time we've won away in four months and at this stage of the season, when wins are important, so it was a great result," he said afterwards.

"We haven't been great on a Saturday, when we've had to play Saturday, Tuesday and then Saturday so to do it with two away games this week, and an overnighter, was pleasing.

"It was never going to be a great day today with the state of the league, the state of the pitch and the amount that was on the result. They will have 100% ident"ified this as a game to target to get themselves out of trouble.

"They drew with Ipswich Town last week so they make it really difficult so we had to do all parts of the game well. It was a big win, no doubt about it."

Duff made three changes to the team that were beaten in Milton Keynes on Tuesday night. In came Sean Long, Elliot Bonds and Andy Williams for Mattie Pollock, Charlie Colkett and Kion Etete, restoring the 3-5-2 formation that has served him so well this term.

The first half was evenly contested but low on quality with chances at a premium. Town produced three efforts from range, two by Wright and the other by Andy Williams although they failed to test Trevor Carson, the Robins player of the season in 2014/15.

However Sercombe produced the decisive moment of the first half when he picked up a ball by Wright and drove into space and released an effort, deflecting off the back of a defender to beat Carson from 25 yards.

The first half may have been low on excitement but it burst into life moments after the restart.

They doubled their advantage within a minute of the restart through Wright, netting his sixth – and probably his easiest – goal of the campaign. Sean Long sent in a throw, flicked on by Will Boyle into the path of Elliot Bonds who took aim from 12 yards. Carson saved, but it dropped into the path of the Leicester City loanee who made no mistake from close-range.

The home side responded well and pulled one back only six minutes later. There had been an almighty goalmouth scramble in which they could have taken any one of four chances to score but it was Greg Leigh who took his chance moments later to stab home Cole Stockton's low ball at the second attempt.

Next Carson and Owen Evans traded saves, low to their right, to prevent Andy Williams and Stockton from the edge of the box.

Duff made a couple of changes to regain the initiative, sending on Charlie Colkett (for Bonds) and Lewis Freestone (Ben Williams) and it had its desired effect, restricting Morecambe to a wild effort by Adam Phillips.

May added the third ten minutes from time to seal the win and again it started out on the left and throw by Long. Wright picked it up and scuffed a shot that fell to the in-form striker who accepted the chance to from close-range.

MORECAMBE (3-5-2): Carson; O'Connor (c), Bedau, Gibson (Ayunga 77); McLoughlin, Phillips, Diagouraga, McCalmont (Obika 53), Leigh; Connolly, Stockton. Subs not used: Smith (Gk), Mensah, Cooney, Gnahoua, Fane.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Evans; Long, Raglan, Boyle (c); Blair, Wright, Bonds (Colkett 61), Sercombe, B Williams (Freestone 67), A Williams (Lloyd 85), May. Subs not used: Flinders (Gk), Pollock, Chapman, Ramsey.

REFEREE: A Kitchen

ATTENDANCE: 3,733 (199 away)

Ticket News

Tickets & travel: Morecambe

25 February 2022

Tickets and away travel for the match at Morecambe on Saturday 12 March are now available to buy.

The game at the Mazuma Stadium takes place with a 3pm kick-off against one of the other sides who like Cheltenham gained promotion into the third tier from League Two last season.

Ticket prices for the match are shown below:

Adult £25
65+ £20
18-22 £15
Under-18 £7
Under-14 £5

If you wish to book on the Travel Club coach heading to the match then it's £20/£18 for non-members, £18/£16 for members and £8 for Junior Robins.

The coach will be leaving from the Jonny-Rocks Stadium for the game at 9.30am.

To purchase tickets and away travel head online or buy from the ticket office at the stadium during opening hours.

Please note that 5% of income from tickets purchased through Cheltenham will go back to the club.

Tickets that are left uncollected will be available to pick up at the Mazuma Stadium on matchday.