Newport will look to build on Saturday’s spectacular win against Stockport when they make the long trip to Lancashire to take on Morecambe this evening.
The Exiles have received a serious boost from the returns of Seb Palmer-Houlden and James Clarke, who put in fantastic performances against Stockport at the weekend and will look to cement their place in the starting 11 against Morecambe.
Coughlan has no new injury worries ahead of the game, though, with such a quick turnaround, may consider resting some players.
Opposition Form
It has been a difficult seven days for Morecambe. The club announced manager Derek Adams had departed last week, and that was followed by a 6-0 loss away at Wrexham.
The Shrimps have won just one of their last five games in all competitions, a 2-1 win away at Lincoln in the FA Cup. Their last league win came against Wimbledon, a strong 4-1 victory at the Mazuma Stadium on October 28th.
The Shrimps have made the Mazuma a fortress this season. They have picked up 18 points out of a possible 24 at the stadium and are unbeaten there this campaign.
Michael Mellon, son of Oldham manager Micky Mellon, has been the Shrimps' main attacking threat this season, hitting the net nine times in sixteen appearances, with six of those goals coming on home soil.
The Shrimps have one of the youngest sides in the division, with 19-year-old Mellon backed up by 20-year-old loanee Tom Bloxham and 21-year-old John Joshua McKierana. Both of whom have been major attacking threats this year.
Last Time Out
Recent games against Morecambe have not been too kind to us, and we will look to rectify that on Tuesday night. Our last outing against The Shrimps was in November 2021 in the first round of the FA Cup. Aaron Wildig, now playing for us, was the man on the scoresheet that day, meeting a cross at the back post to give the hosts a 1-0 win.
Head to Head
Morecambe have been regular sparring partners over the last decade. Since 2013, we have played The Shrimps 18 times, with us winning five, Morecambe winning nine, and four ending in a draw. Our last victory against Morecambe was a 3-1 win away from home in March 2021.
Played for Both
Two members of our current squad have lined up for Morecambe in recent years. Ryan Delaney made 35 appearances for the Lancashire outfit during their two-year stint in League One before leaving this summer to sign at Rodney Parade.
Aaron Wildig is a player held in high regard by the Morecambe faithful. The industrious midfielder made over 200 appearances for The Shrimps, the most of any club in his career so far, between 2015 and 2022. He experienced plenty of success at the Mazuma Stadium, playing for the team in the 2020/21 play-off final against us.
Man In The Middle
The man in the middle for this evening's game is Ross Joyce, you can read more about his officiating team HERE.