Newport County return to Sky Bet League Two action this Sunday as they take on Morecambe (3pm).
Nelson Jardim’s side will be looking to bounce back after two consecutive defeats to Walsall and most recently Wimbledon.
The Exiles are still searching for their first win of the year and a victory against the Shrimps on Sunday will kickstart their 2025.
Opposition Form
Derek Adams’ side have had a poor first half of the season with the Lancashire side currently sat second bottom of the league after 24 games played. With 14 losses, five draws and five wins the Shrimps have 20 points just two off bottom side Carlisle United.
In the past few weeks Morecambe have picked up crucial points against other teams in the relegation battle. On boxing day they beat bottom placed side Carlisle 1-0 and in their most recent game they took three points from 20th place Tranmere Rovers in a 2-0 win.
One player who has been important to Morecambe is Rhys Williams. The defender is on loan from Premier League giants Liverpool and brings top-level experience to the Shrimps therefore making him a key player to watch in Sunday’s clash.
During the 2020-21 season, Williams made 19 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, including nine Premier League matches and six Champions League outings. Notably, he helped Liverpool secure a 1-0 victory over Ajax in the Champions League group stage, coming off the bench to help keep a clean sheet at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Since then, Williams has gained further experience through loan spells with Swansea City, Blackpool, Aberdeen, and Port Vale. The centre back has made 25 appearances in all competitions for the Shrimps this season and will be trying to put a stop to the Exiles' attack on Sunday.
Shared Shirts
One player who has played for both Morecambe and Newport County is Adam Lewis. The left back signed on a free transfer to the Shrimps this summer after spending two seasons on loan at the Exiles between 2022 until 2024.
Lewis played during Newport County’s FA Cup fourth round fixture against Manchester United last year and even assisted Will Evans' equalising goal. He made 58 appearances for the Amber army scoring three times and has gone on to make 30 appearances for the Shrimps, scoring once.
Last time out
The two sides met earlier this season at Mazuma Mobile Stadium, with Newport securing a 1-0 victory. Aaron Wildig’s early goal in the 9th minute, capitalising on a mistake by Morecambe goalkeeper Stuart Moore, was enough to seal the win for the Exiles.
With Wildig now sidelined through injury, Newport will need to find new ways to break down a resilient Morecambe defence.
Head to-Head
Historically, this fixture has been closely contested, with 22 games between these two sides resulting in 9 wins, 4 draws, and 9 losses each. However, Newport has had the upper hand in recent encounters, winning 6 of the last 8 league matchups, including the last three in a row. With Morecambe failing to win in their last six visits to Rodney Parade (D3 L3), the Exiles will be hoping to continue this strong home record.
Key Facts
- Newport County have won each of their last six league games against Morecambe, the club’s longest current winning streak against any side in the EFL.
- After winning each of their first three away Football League games against Newport County between 2013 and 2015, Morecambe are since winless on their last six visits to Rodney Parade (D3 L3).
- Newport have won just one of their last eight league games played on either on a Saturday or Sunday (D4 L3), failing to score in six of those matches.
- Morecambe have won four of their last eight away league games (D1 L3), though have scored just one goal in total across their last three such matches.
