AHEAD OF THE GAME: Morecambe (H)

Woking vs Morecambe

Enterprise National League

Saturday 11th April

15:00 Kick-Off

Just four games remain for the Cards this season, their next as they welcome Morecambe to the Laithwaite Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with Defoe in search of his first win as Woking manager.

This follows a goalless draw last time out, with Braintree Town putting up a fight in an attempt to avoid relegation, but a point wasn’t enough for the Iron, who became the second team to be relegated this term.

Sitting just above Braintree is Morecambe, with the Shrimps the next side to take on Woking whilst clinging to survival hopes.

Whilst Morecambe strive to avoid a repeat of the reverse fixture, it was back on August 30th that the Cards earned their first win of the season, with Andrews taking a 55th-minute lead, and Ashford confirming the victory with his injury-time strike.

A similar result will certainly be welcomed on Saturday afternoon, as the Cards look to get back to winning ways, having last picked up maximum points from a fixture on Derby Day.

Opposition Watch

With three remaining games, survival is still mathematically possible for the Shrimps, but it’s a tough task, with them lined up to face Boreham Wood and Forest Green following their trip to Surrey.

A confidence boost for the Lancashire-based side, they took points off of Carlisle last time out, with that clash ending in a 2-2 draw. They also put four past Rochdale the game prior, denting the Dale’s title hopes as the Shrimps ran out 4-2 winners.

It may well be too little too late, however, as Morecambe rely on those hovering just above the relegation zone to drop points to succeed in their attempts at last-ditch survival.

A tough season on and off the pitch, chances of survival looked to be strengthened with a managerial change, with Ashvir Singh Johal departing the club at the end of January, leaving the side second from bottom.

His replacement, Jim Bentley, returned to the club after previous stints as both a player and manager, and joined with 18 matches to turn the season around. He has since played 15 of those, winning four, drawing five, and losing the remaining six.

Three of those four wins, however, have contributed to an away form which has seen the side pick up 10 out of a possible 15 points from their last five away days, suggesting they are, of late, difficult to beat as the travelling side.

One to Watch

While their league position shows their struggles, Morecambe do boast Jack Nolan in the top ten of the league’s goalscorers, with his total of 17 seeing him sit in seventh.

Morecambe’s total tally in the league so far this term is 65, meaning Nolan boasts over a quarter of his side’s total, his last in the 4-2 victory over Rochdale.

With 20 goals in his reach, but time running out, he heads to Surrey with hopes to close in on that milestone.

Preview by: Holly Porter