Match Preview: Morecambe (H)
EFL League Two
The Hive
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 – KO 8.00pm
EFL League Two
The Hive
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 – KO 8.00pm
Team News: Centre-back Bira Dembele will miss Morecambe’s visit after he was sent off in Saturday’s 5-1 loss at Portsmouth in EFL League Two.
Also missing are Michael Gash, James Pearson and Gavin Hoyte, all of whom have long-term injuries.
Last Time We Met: The Shrimps were 4-2 winners on April 2 when the Bees visited the Globe Arena for a topsy-turvy end-of-season encounter.
A pair of Shaun Miller goals had Jim Bentley’s men 2-0 ahead after just eight minutes, the second coming from the penalty spot following a Graham Stack foul.
Alex Kenyon headed in a third to seemingly kill off Barnet’s threat early in the second half.
However, Michael Gash pulled one back by lashing in a free-kick with 20 minutes remaining.
Cole Stockton screwed home a fourth for the hosts with 88 minutes gone, only for Gash to bundle in his and Barnet’s second two minutes later.
Manager: Jim Bentley, 40, has been in charge at the Globe Arena since 2011 when he was appointed as Sammy McIlroy’s successor.
Appointed as player-manager in May 2011, Bentley hasn’t played a competitive match for the Shrimps since after spending nine years at the club in a playing capacity.
Born in Liverpool, the burly former defender began his professional career at Manchester City but left in 1997 to join Telford United.
In 2002 Bentley traded Telford for Morecambe and has remained with the Shrimps ever since, playing and managing more than 500 games in total.
Dangerman: Kevin Ellison has already netted three times in his first seven league starts this season and shows no sign of slowing up despite being 37.
The Liverpudlian joined Morecambe from Rotherham United in June 2011 and has clocked up more than 200 league appearances since, netting 59 times.
Ellison started at Southport and made it into the big time when he joined Leicester City for £50,000 in February 2001.
His time with the Foxes was brief – amounting to one substitute outing – and he was sold in November that year to Stockport County at a £5,000 profit.
A loan switch to Lincoln City preceded a permanent move to Chester for whom he netted nine times in 24 outings.
He then joined Championship-bound Hull City for £100,000 but was on the move again 18 months later when he joined Tranmere Rovers.
In June 2007 Ellison re-joined Chester for £150,000, scoring 19 times in 75 league starts. A successful two-year spell with Rotherham, including 12 goals in 56 league starts, followed before he joined Morecambe.
Connections: There are no players in either of the current squads to have played for the opposing team but Welsh striker Jason Price wore both teams’ colours in 2011.
The vastly-experienced forward signed for the Bees in August 2011 on a short-term deal and scored once in five games before joining the Shrimps in September of the same year.
Price’s solitary Barnet goal came on his debut, a 3-1 defeat to Port Vale. He scored twice in 18 outings for Morecambe and later turned out for Prestatyn Town, Ossett Town and Shaw Lane Aquaforce.
Another player to have turned out for both is left-back Jordan Mustoe. The former Wigan Athletic youngster made 18 Bees appearances in 2012 before spending part of the 2012/134 campaign on loan at Morecambe.
He currently plays for Belgian outfit Westerlo after leaving Accrington Stanley in 2014.
Last Time Out: The Shrimps lost out by the odd goal in five at home to Crawley Town with four of those efforts coming in the final ten minutes.
Adi Yussuf put Crawley in front after 72 minutes and James Collins doubled the lead 11 minutes later.
Michael Rose dragged Morecambe back into the game when he curled a free-kick past Glenn Morris in the 89th minute. Jimmy Smith promptly added a third for Crawley in the first minute of stoppage time.
But the drama wasn’t over and Morecambe again reduced the deficit when Cole Stockton volleyed past Morris from the edge of the area.
Morecambe (4-4-2): Roche; Wakefield, Edwards, Winnard, Conlan; Murphy, Rose; Barkhuizen, Dunn, Ellison; Mullin.
Ticket info: Tickets for the Bees’ next two games are buy one get one free, meaning fans can buy a ticket for Morecambe and get a second for Saturday’s game with Leyton Orient for free!
Click here for more information about our BOGOF promotion for Morecambe and Orient.
Supporters can order tickets for tomorrow’s match from our online box office here. Or turn up early and buy on the day from The Hive ticket office.
