Morecambe and Newport County are the two sides that will contest the League Two play-off final this season.
League Two Play-Off Final Predictions
Morecambe Unbeaten in League Two Semi-Finals Ahead of Play-Off Final
The Shrimps saw off Tranmere Rovers in their semi-final, not losing either fixture and cementing their place in the running for a potential spot in League One for the next campaign. As for Newport, they fought off Forest Green Rovers in the first leg of their semi-final, only for Rovers to scrap to a 4-3 win in the second tie. It was a scare for Michael Flynn’s side but they managed to get through on aggregate.
Both sides have had superb campaigns, with many not expecting Morecambe to climb to the heights they have, whilst others have become increasingly impressed with the work being done at County to keep them challenging on a regular basis.
Newport Captain Josh Sheehan Superb Ffr County in Club’s First Leg Against Forest Green
For Morecambe, the man to watch might be Carlos Mendes Gomes. Despite a relatively quiet semi-finals for the player, he still remains capable of that little flash of brilliance that could be the difference between the two sides. His work on the wing is consistently good, with his crossing and work-rate valuable to the Shrimps.
Newport’s main man may be captain Josh Sheehan. He was one of the most influential on the field in County’s win in the first leg of the semi-finals and can control a game from the centre of the field. He’s another reliable player and is a hard-worker, regularly getting involved and stuck in winning the ball for his side and setting his teammates onto an attack. If he is on his game, then usually so are his club.
Key Stat
When both teams have played each other, both sides have scored in seven of the last eight games between them. With so much on the line in this fixture, it could be a more cagey affair but throw in the fact that the Shrimps have gone the last 12 games without a clean sheet – meaning, if this is true again, that Newport would bag in this final – then it could be a higher scoring affair as Morecambe will need to claw back into the fixture.
That means this final could end up being more of a goalfest than a tightly-knit affair. If that is the case, it could prove to be an entertaining watch (for those who aren’t Newport and Morecambe fans at least).
Prediction
It really is a hard one to call, with both sides having superb seasons in their own right. Michael Flynn has got his club playing some excellent football and he’s been drawing admiring glances from sides higher up the pyramid because of it. However, the Shrimps have been a tremendous outfit so far this campaign and remained unbeaten in both legs of their semi-final (albeit against a Tranmere side without their manager). If they can carry that form into this final, they could certainly steal the win they need to fire themselves into the third tier – and what an achievement it would be from manager Derek Adams to do so.
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