Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s EFL Trophy clash between Morecambe and Nottingham Forest Under-21s, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
League Two strugglers Morecambe will be bidding to make it two wins from their opening two EFL Trophy matches in Northern Group C when they welcome Nottingham Forest Under-21s on Tuesday night.
The home side opened their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic, while Forest Under-21s were also 2-1 winners over Carlisle United in their opening match of the 2024-25 competition.
Match preview
© Imago
Lee Angol hit the winner as Morecambe beat Wigan 2-1 in their Northern Group C opener, and another victory over Forest Under-21s on Tuesday would leave them in an excellent position in the section.
Derek Adams‘s side have played six times since the clash with Wigan, and they have not won during that period, losing two and drawing four of their League Two fixtures.
Morecambe will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Accrington Stanley, with the result leaving them rock bottom of the division, still waiting for their first league win of the campaign.
The Shrimps have only picked up four points from their opening 10 matches, so the EFL Trophy is proving to be a welcome distraction, and they will hope that their experience will allow them to triumph on Tuesday night.
Forest Under-21s, meanwhile, were 2-1 winners over Carlisle in their opening game of the 2024-25 competition, but they had to wait until the final exchanges to secure all three points.
Indeed, it did appear that the fixture would be heading for a 1-1 draw, only for 18-year-old Archie Whitehall to register the winner in the 94th minute of the contest.
Warren Joyce‘s side will enter this match off the back of a defeat, losing 2-0 to Southampton Under-21s on Friday, with the result leaving them in 10th position in the Premier League 2 table, claiming nine points from six matches.
Forest Under-21s will enter this match off the back of successive defeats, but they won their opening match of the Premier League International Cup against Dinamo Zagreb Under-21s towards the end of last month and certainly have the quality to cause Morecambe issues in this intriguing contest.
Morecambe EFL Trophy form:
Morecambe form (all competitions):
Nottingham Forest Under-21s EFL Trophy form:
Nottingham Forest Under-21s form (all competitions):
© Imago
Morecambe head coach Adams will make changes to the side that started against Accrington on Saturday, with Angol set to be among those to return to the starting side.
Jordan Slew is also in line for a recall in the final third of the field, and there is a strong chance that it could be the same XI that started the team’s last game in the competition against Wigan.
Ben Tollitt was on the scoresheet against Accrington, and the 29-year-old is also set to feature from the start here.
As for Forest Under-21s, head coach Joyce could name the same side that started against Carlisle, with Joseph Gardner expected to lead the line.
Ben Hammond featured off the bench in the Premier League 2 contest with Southampton Under-21s on Friday, but he is likely to be introduced into the XI for the EFL Trophy fixture.
Morecambe possible starting lineup:
Burgoyne; Millen, Taylor, Stott, A Lewis; P Lewis, Harrack; Tolitt, Macadam, Slew; Angol
Nottingham Forest Under-21s possible starting lineup:
Bott; Back, Abbott, Hammond, Powell; Perry, Perkins; Sinclair, Nadin, McAdam; Gardner
We say: Morecambe 2-1 Nottingham Forest Under-21s
We are expecting a tight match on Tuesday, with Morecambe struggling at the bottom of League Two, but we are backing the home side to navigate their way to a vital win in the Group C fixture.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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