The bookies have us as overwhelming favourites in the first league meeting between the reds and the shrimps at Oakwell. If you fancy the away side to repeat their home victory and cash in on Barnsley's unbeaten run coming to an end, you currently can get 9/1. Morecambe are in real danger of relegation, and currently sit 3 points shy of safety having played 2 more games than 5th bottom Oxford. The shrimps are on a run of 7 games without a win, 1 win in 12, and no wins in 14 on their travels. In fact Morecambe are the worst team away from home in the league in terms of ppg. They've amassed just 8 points away from the Mazuma mobile arena in 18 games, with Forest Green being the only side they've beaten. The majority of the games they've drawn away have been at teams in the bottom half, and they've suffered heavy defeats at Derby, Ipswich and Wednesday. We have met previously at Oakwell in the league cup, winning our last meeting in 2017 via a late Ryan Hedges strike in a 7 goal thriller. Our other meeting in the cup was back in 2011 when Morecambe were 2-0 victors in a drab Barnsley performance under Keith Hill. Everything points to a convincing home win. Whilst we looked tired on Wednesday night, I do feel we just came up against a strong Exeter side who haven't been adverse to strong home performances this season. Morecambe are a different proposition, and I feel we will avenge the defeat we suffered away earlier in the season. I'm going for 3-0 with Norwood getting a brace and Cole on target all in the first half.
I expect us to win and comfortably. Hope Duff has them up for it though. I'm not a fan of these games where we award ourselves the win. I'll be nervous until the fourth goes in.
Feeling good about this, Exeter result was a timely wake-up call and Duffy will have them firing on all cylinders. A comfortable 3-0 and we’ll come away happy yet wondering why we didn’t win by double that amount. As for atmosphere, compared with a few games ago prior to Derby it’ll be good, can’t expect it to be at the level of the Fowls game though
Reds to bounce back from our respective Tuesday night Exeter hangovers much better than I have (apologies to everyone for any and all small hours gibberish from me on here too!) and win 3-0 despite another encounter with whistle-blower Stockbridge (he of the Bolton home game ).