Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs. Morecambe - prediction, team news, lineups

The Pilgrims are fighting to stay in the top two after four league games without a win, while their visitors have not tasted victory since October.

Match preview

Plymouth Argyle enjoyed an eye-catching start to the League One season, setting up their promotion push in impressive fashion as they sat atop the division with 41 points from 17 outings.

In that time, Steven Schumacher's side put 13 victories on the board, but they have been unable to add another notch to their wins column in four attempts since, dropping from the summit as a result.

Following draws with Lincoln City and Burton Albion and a 5-1 thrashing to Grimsby Town in the FA Cup first round, Plymouth would suffer just a third league defeat of the season at home to Port Vale at the beginning of December, as James Wilson hit two second-half goals in a 2-0 away triumph.

Aiming to put an end to their dip in form, the Pilgrims travelled to take on Cambridge United last weekend, but neither side managed to break the deadlock, with Schumacher's men only able to return home with a point as a result.

While they were let off by Sheffield Wednesday also drawing, Plymouth have now dropped to second spot and only lead the third-placed Owls by two points, meaning they will now be desperate to return to winning ways and increase their cushion in the automatic promotion spots again.

They meet a Morecambe side in need of a result for different reasons, as the visitors look to climb off the foot of the table and improve their standing in the fight for survival.

The Shrimps' first half of the campaign has been contrary to that of Saturday's opponents, having managed just two victories in 20 league outings thus far, with their last three-point haul coming in October.

Since an unlikely triumph over Barnsley, Derek Adams's side have managed to add four points to their tally in six games courtesy of some commendable draws with Wycombe, Portsmouth and Derby County, but they remain bottom as a wait for another victory continues.

Following three third-tier draws on the bounce, as well as FA Cup and EFL Cup defeats, Adams's side would suffer their ninth league defeat of the season away at Lincoln City, with Jensen Weir's 81st-minute goal not enough to trigger a turnaround after they went 2-0 down.

Now on the back of a 1-1 draw with Exeter City in their last league outing last Friday, in which Cole Stockton's first-half opener was immediately cancelled out by Josh Key, the Shrimps find themselves level on points with 23rd-placed MK Dons and six points adrift of safety, and they will be keen to end their winless run and improve their position in the fight for survival with what would be a statement victory at Home Park.

Plymouth Argyle League One form:

W

W

D

D

L

D

Plymouth Argyle form (all competitions):

L

D

D

W

L

D

Morecambe League One form:

L

D

D

D

L

D

Morecambe form (all competitions):

L

L

D

L

L

D

Team News

In a bid to turn their form around, Steven Schumacher could call Niall Ennis back into the Plymouth starting XI on Saturday, with the attacker boasting six goals and four assists in League One so far this season.

Swansea City loanee Morgan Whittaker, meanwhile, has contributed seven goals and five assists in 21 league appearances this term, and Sam Cosgrove could make way to allow the pair to flank Ryan Hardie, who leads the squad's scoring charts with eight in the third tier and 10 in all competitions thus far.

Danny Mayor will be vying to return from the outset in midfield, having been reduced to substitute appearances in recent weeks, while Nigel Lonwijk and Dan Scarr also found themselves on the bench last time out and will fight to start at the back.

Morecambe's attack will again be reliant on Cole Stockton, who has ended a drought to net his first two goals of the season in the last two matches after hitting the net 23 times in League One last season.

He will be given the nod over Huddersfield Town loanee Kieran Phillips to lead the line, likely with support from Jake Taylor, while Liam Shaw should again anchor the midfield alongside Jensen Weir, who leads the way in the squad with six goals in all competitions this season including five in England's third tier.

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Wilson, Gillesphey, Scarr; Mumba, Houghton, Mayor, Edwards; Whittaker, Hardie, Ennis

Morecambe possible starting lineup:

Ripley; Cooney, Bedeau, O'Connor, Gibson; Shaw, Weir; Watts, Taylor, Mayor; Stockton

We say: Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Morecambe

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