Points mean prizes (or progress at least), and we’d like some more of them please. It was all a bit backs-to-the-wall at times last week, but all the records now say is that we came out on top indoors against Crawley. And it was made better by the fact that ex-Boro’ plodder Filipe Morais wet the bed about it. He’ll get over it. Time to look ahead for us, not back. Can we be more consistent? Or will we keep being consistently inconsistent?
Morecambe v Stevenage: The Lowdown
It’s Morecambe up next. And it was around this time last year that we (all half a dozen of us) trekked up there to see Ronnie set a new club appearances record. So what history are we going to witness at the Globe Arena this year? Well, hold onto your hats. This is the 40th meeting between our two sides, which drags the Shrimps level with Woking in our all-time list. There will be commemorative pennants to mark the occasion – right?
The Opposition
P39 W18 D12 L9 F64 A46; last result: Stevenage 1-0 Morecambe, 18/08/2018
Our 1-0 win over them earlier this term makes it three without defeat for us, but our record is so much better than that. Boro’ have lost just one of our last 16 against Morecambe. Mad Fraser Franks’ golazo equaliser last season was more valuable than you first thought, huh? Our form on the road this season, however, means our good run is looking shaky. Sure – two defeats in 16 isn’t so bad, but one in one? Nah. We don’t like that idea.
The Referee
P11 W2 D1 L8 F10 A20; last result: Stevenage 0-1 Colchester United, 24/03/2018
Those two Russian lads weren’t there for the cathedral, they were after this weekend’s ref: Graham Salisbury. Now it falls into place, eh? The ref in question is a chap we have met a fair few times before, though not to our benefit. Our last time together was a 1-0 defeat indoors against Colchester; that one notable for being Dino’s first in charge. Hopefully he’s worked out how to win when our Graham (no, not that one) is in charge.
The Form
We head north with the Shrimps hovering, as ever, too close above the League Two relegation toilet bowl for comfort. Like Alty used to do in the Conference, Morecambe have this habit of flirting with the drop and only managing not to get caught with their pants down late in the day. Seven points from a possible 24 is their return, which – to be fair – is only three worse than us. We’ve won more than one game in our last 10, though.
Not that such stats ever play into our hands. Nor do the facts that Morecambe have conceded at least once in 86% of their matches indoors and scored in less than half of them. Their overall defensive record is marginally better than Cambridge’s, and we don’t need reminding about that oops-upside-your-head. While three points are there for the taking, the feeling we’ll balls it up will still linger like the smell of Woking even if we do win.
The head-to-head record between us, as planned and painted by the team at kickoff.co.uk:
• MORE ABOUT ‘EM: Morecambe club profile
