Accringtonvs.Morecambe

The hosts are 16th heading into this game, 17 points above relegation and nine away from the playoffs, while the visitors are four points better off in 12th.

Match preview

After being relegated from League One last season, Accrington were enjoying a good campaign that had them competing for a place in the playoffs as they attempted to earn promotion in their first attempt.

However, their fortunes changed when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Colchester United at the end of October, marking the start of a run that saw them win just six times in 24 league games.

That dreadful form has seen Accrington not only fall away from the playoffs and down into the lower half of the table, but also the sacking of long-term manager John Coleman.

Coleman was in his second stint as Accrington boss, having coached the side between August 1999 and January 2012 before re-joining the side in September 2014 up until his eventual dismissal after a 4-0 loss to Wrexham on March 2.

Former Owd Reds captain John Doolan took over Coleman's role, but has failed to create any major upturn in form, losing two and drawing one of his first four games in charge.

Those poor recent results have Accrington 23rd in the League Two form table, picking up a measly four points from their last six games, leaving them destined for a second-consecutive season in the league with little chance of making up a nine-point deficit on the playoff positions.

Morecambe share a similar story to the hosts this campaign, fighting for the playoff places for large parts of their first season back in League Two following relegation, before a bad run of results saw them drop away from the top six.

Having lost all of their last four games, Morecambe are now five points away from a Crawley Town team who are in sixth place and hold a game in hand over the Shrimps.

While it is not impossible for Gerard Brannan's men to put together a late charge and push into the playoff spots come the end of the season, they would have to very quickly turn around their awful form that has them 19th in the form table over the past six games.

That change would have to start in this match against an Accrington side that they have not beaten at the Wham Stadium since August 2016, when they came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Accrington Stanley League Two form:

L

L

L

W

D

L

Morecambe League Two form:

W

W

L

L

L

L

Team News

Accrington may be given a boost ahead of this game as Manchester United loanee Radek Vitek is set to return from his involvement with the Czech Republic's Under-20s side.

Joe Pritchard is also likely to start once again for Doolan's side after playing from the start for the first time since the end of January in their 3-1 defeat to Sutton United last weekend.

As for Morecambe, they are dealing with several injuries ahead of this game, leaving Brannan with plenty to think about.

Brandon Barker, JJ McKiernan, Donald Love, Stuart Moore all remain on the treatment table through injury, while Farrend Rawson could make his return to the travelling squad after three weeks out.

Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:

Vitek; Mellor, Hills, Gubbins, O'Brien; Martin, Leigh; Nolan, Pritchard, Whalley; Woods

Morecambe possible starting lineup:

Mair; Senior, Stokes, Bedeau, Tutonda; Taylor, Khumbeni; Brown, Adams, Slew; Garner

We say: Accrington Stanley 1-1 Morecambe

Both sides are heading into this game off the back of a really disappointing run of results in the league, and we expect the two teams to fail in their search for victory in this one.

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