Following the 2-0 defeat to Oxford United on Tuesday night, Lincoln City take a break from League One action as they welcome Morecambe to the LNER Stadium on Saturday (3pm KO) in the FA Cup.
Both sides will be looking to bounce back following defeats in midweek, to advance into the draw for the second round, which takes place on Sunday.
Opposition: Morecambe FC
The League Two outfit were on an eight game unbeaten run before a 1-0 defeat away at Barrow on Tuesday night, winning their previous five games prior to defeat in Cumbria.
Following their relegation from League One last season, Morecambe have adjusted well to life in the fourth division. They currently sit in 6th place and occupy a play-off spot as things stand.
Derek Adams’ side have won their last three away games, a run dating back to mid-September, when they lost 2-1 at Gillingham.
Michael Mellon is the Shimps’ top scorer this season with nine goals to his name, including a hat-trick last Saturday against Wimbledon. He sits fourth in the SkyBet League Two golden boot race, and is expected to lead the line for Morecambe. The Scotsman is only 19 and is enjoying the start of his loan spell from Burnley.
Team News:
For the Imps, long-term injuries remain, with Ben House and Lewis Monstma still side-lined. Reeco Hackett also remains out with the hamstring injury he sustained in the Imps’ 1-0 away victory at Fleetwood.
Tyler Walker returned to training in the week and is nearing a return to action.
Teddy Bishop is hoping to return to the line-up during the cup fixtures this week, after sustaining a small injury and missing the defeat to Oxford United in midweek. Sean Roughan was brought off in that fixture, so could miss out.
For Morecambe, a quick run of fixtures could produce changes to the team due to fitness concerns. Eli King, who return against Barrow, could feature strongly after missing most of the October fixtures.
Played for both:
Amongst the current Morecambe ranks, there are a few former Imps. They include Jacob Davenport, who played under Tom Smith during previous Imps head coach Mark Kennedy’s time at the club. He only featured three times across a six-month period.
Midfielder Max Melbourne also featured for the Imps, across three spells at the club between 2019 and 2022, making 35 appearances and scoring once. Goalkeeper Adam Smith was on the Lincoln City books during a loan spell too, but never made an appearance.
Follow LincSport on Twitter/X for live updates of the game, a post-match report and interviews.