Morecambe and Newport will clash on Monday, May 31, at Wembley Stadium in the finals of the League Two Playoffs. Morecambe lost both of their meetings with Newport this season and will be eager to turn things around. But will they manage to do it in their debut at the renowned stadium?
Morecambe vs Newport
When: Monday, May 31 – 15:00 GMT
Where: Wembley Stadium in London, England
Weather: Sunny, 22°C
Referee: Robert Madley
Morecambe or Newport – who will play in League One next season and who will spend another season in League Two? This afternoon, we will find out this answer after the two play the Playoff Final at Wembley Stadium.
For Morecambe, this is the first game at the largest stadium in the UK, which is famous for having a relatively slow surface, at least slower than the surface of most League Two venues. And it’s going to be as slow as it gets, considering the weather forecast this afternoon.
Does this mean Newport will have an advantage, considering that they’ve already played five times at Wembley? Perhaps, but the decisive factors in this clash will be the quality and motivation of these two teams.
Morecambe Looking for Their First Win Over Newport Since 2019
The last time Morecambe beat Newport was in December 2019. Since then, they have lost three, including twice in the 2020-21 season.
Regardless of their poor head-to-head record, Morecambe finished the season one place higher than their next opponents. Derek Adams’ men ended the season in the #4 place, just one point behind Bolton, who received a direct bye into League One.
What this meant is that Morecambe had to play the Playoffs. Their first opponent were Tranmere, who failed to leave much of a dent. Morecambe won their first game 2-1 and ended the reverse fixture with a 1-1 draw.
Now, they’re facing a more challenging opponent, who seem to love playing “big” games.
Newport Get to the Playoff Final After a Dramatic Win in the Semis
Newport finished the regular season in fifth with a 20-13-13 record, six points short of direct promotion and two points ahead of the eighth-placed Salford.
Finishing inside the top-seven earned Newport a spot in the Playoffs, where they first faced Forest Green. Newport won the first match 2-0 but lost their nerves in the reverse fixture.
The second match finished 4-2 in favour of Forest Green. But since there’s no away goal rule in the Playoffs, it meant that the game had to go to extra time. As a matter a fact, the game almost went to penalties!
It took Newport 119th minute to find a game-winning goal via the 34-year-old striker Nicky Maynard, who scored only his third goal of the season. Speaking of Newport’s goalscorers, their most prolific scorer this season’s been Matthew Dolan with seven.
That said, Newport’s main strength this season was team spirit, the proof of which is that 17 of their players have scored at least a goal. That list includes their goalkeeper, Tom King.
Although Newport conceded four in their last game, their defence was pretty good throughout the season. With just 42 goals from 46 games, Newport were the fourth-best defensive team in the league. In comparison, Morecambe allowed a total of 58 goals.
Morecambe vs Newport Betting Picks
As you’d expect from a Playoff Final, this has to be an entertaining game. Still, it’s Newport who seem more deserving to play in League Two. Especially after what has happened two years ago.
Newport have the experience and the motivation to deliver and have impressed us more with their recent showings. We like Newport better.
Prediction: Newport County +0.00 Asian Handicap
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