Shrimps in search of goals and victories

The Shrimps welcome Fleetwood Town to the Mazuma Mobile Stadium on Saturday, looking for only a second league win of the season at home.

Their first came on New Year’s Day with a 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers, since when they have failed to find the net.

Nine of Morecambe’s last 11 matches in all competitions have seen them unable to score, something the manager wants to change.

He said: “That failing to score is hurting us. We’ve created some good openings but we’re unable to put the ball in the net, be it a striker, wide player or a midfield player.

“We’ve worked ourselves into really good positions but, I keep on saying it, we haven’t picked the right pass or managed to find a way past the keeper.

“Draws are no good to us, only wins will help us with the position that we’re in.”

Two late goals gave Morecambe a 2-2 draw when the sides met at Highbury last September.

Saturday’s visitors will have a different face in the dugout from then with Pete Wild having replaced Charlie Adam last month.

They have won four of his seven matches so far, a run which has seen them climb to 12th in the table.

“The new manager comes in and they had a bounce from that, which usually happens,” Adams said.

“They are a team that perhaps would have expected to be in and around the play-offs but, from our point of view, we’re at home, we want to score goals and we want to win.”

Adams hopes to have Rhys Williams and Callum Jones at his disposal for the weekend.

The pair missed the Shrimps’ defeat at Bradford City in midweek, which kept them bottom of League Two and with a six-point gap to safety.

They joined players including Stuart Moore and George Ray on the sidelines, while Lee Angol sits out the second game of his three-match suspension.

“We’re hopeful they will be back for Saturday,” Adams said before training on Thursday.

“Stuart is still feeling some discomfort when he’s kicking the ball and doesn’t feel right yet, so we’re just continuing to monitor him.”