Morecambe and Burton Albion get underway in 2023 when they go head to head at the Mazuma Stadium in round 25 of League One on Sunday.
The Shrimps, who are currently rooted to the bottom of the league table, head into the weekend unbeaten in each of their last five home matches and will be looking to kick off the new year on a high.
Match preview
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Morecambe finally gave their fans something to cheer as they secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over Accrington Stanley when the sides squared off in a bottom-of-the-table clash on Thursday.
Despite seeing less than 40% of the ball possession, Celtic loanee Liam Shaw and Jensen Weir scored first-half goals to see off the 'Owd Reds and close out the year with just their third win of the season.
Prior to that, the Shrimps were on a run of 11 consecutive games without a win across all competitions, losing seven and claiming four draws since October's 1-0 victory over Barnsley.
That run saw Morecambe crash out of the FA Cup and EFL Cup courtesy of successive defeats against Sheffield Wednesday and Milton Keynes Dons respectively, while they were dumped out of the EFL Trophy on November 22, when they lost on penalties to Lincoln City.
Derek Adams's men have now picked up three wins, nine draws and lost 11 of their 23 matches to collect 18 points and sit rock-bottom in the League One table, four points away from safety.
Morecambe's underwhelming first half of the season has been owing to their lack of cutting-edge at the attacking end of the pitch, where they currently hold the league's second-worst record with just 19 goals scored so far.
Burton Albion, on the other hand, continued their surge from the relegation places as they picked up a 2-1 victory over Forest Green Rovers last time out.
In a cagey affair at The New Lawn, John Brayford and 22-year-old Bobby Kamwa put the visitors in a commanding two-goal lead before Myles Peart-Harris snatched a 93rd-minute consolation.
Prior to that, Dino Maamria's side ended their seven-game winless run in the league in their Boxing Day clash against Lincoln City courtesy of first-half goals from Sam Hughes, Johnny Smith and Victor Adeboyejo.
With 22 points from 24 matches, Burton Albion are currently 20th in the League One standings, level on points with 21st-placed Accrington Stanley, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, albeit with one game in hand.
While the Brewers will be looking to mark the start of 2023 on a high and pick up a third win on the bounce, they have struggled for results away from home, where they are winless in six of their last seven matches, losing four and claiming two draws since September.
Team News
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Off the back of an impressive display against Accrington, Adams could name an unchanged back three of Farrend Rawson, Jacob Bedeau and Ryan Delaney, with former Middlesbrough man Connor Ripley in goal.
Weir and Shaw should team at the centre of the park once again, while we should see a front two of 28-year-old Cole Stockton and Huddersfield Town loanee Kieran Phillips.
However, Max Melbourne was forced off with a first-half injury against Accrington Stanley and the 24-year-old defender joins Ash Hunter and Courtney Duffus on the club's injury table.
Burton Albion, on the other hand, will be without the services of Welsh midfielder Elliot Thorpe, who has been out of action since October through a severe injury.
Fellow defender Conor Shaughnessy is also out of contention for Sunday's game as he continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines after coming off injured in August's clash with Ipswich Town.
Morecambe possible starting lineup:
Ripley; Delaney, Bedeau, Rawson; Cooney, Weir, Shaw, Gibson, Watts; Stockton, Phillips
Burton Albion possible starting lineup:
Garratt; Brayford, Hughes, Ndaba; Hamer, Taylor, Oshilaja, Borthwick-Jackson; Smith, Kamwa, Adeboyejo
We say: Morecambe 1-1 Burton Albion
Having wrapped up the year with two consecutive victories, Burton Albion will head into 2023 with renewed confidence as they look to pull clear of the drop zone. Morecambe also appear to have also hit their stride and we predict that both sides will cancel out each other's efforts and settle for a share of the spoils.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
