Exeter City make the long trip to face Morecambe on Friday evening looking for the victory which will keep them in close proximity to the League One playoff places.

At a time when the South Coast side sit in 11th place in the standings, Morecambe are down in 23th position and six points adrift of safety.

Match preview

After a three-year absence from occupying a senior role in the dugout, it has not taken Gary Caldwell long to experience the highs and lows of management upon his return.

A draw at Derby County and successive 3-2 victories in different competitions represented a rewarding start, but Exeter have since gone down to Ipswich Town and Oxford United in League One and the FA Cup respectively.

While losing to the division's second-placed team was hardly a surprise, going down 4-1 at the Kassam Stadium was not expected, particularly the late capitulation which saw three goals conceded between the 79th and 88th minutes.

With Exeter having now conceded at least twice in their last five outings, it leaves Caldwell with plenty of work ahead if he wants to keep the Grecians in the promotion hunt.

As it stands, they sit just six points adrift of fourth position, a scenario which highlights the rewards on offer for a strong Christmas period.

From Morecambe's perspective, it is fair to say that Derek Adams is clinging onto his job on his second spell at the club, recording just six wins from his 40 matches in charge.

Just one of those triumphs have come in the last 14 fixtures in all competitions, Morecambe not getting a win on the board since October 22.

The end result is exits from the FA Cup and EFL Trophy, meaning that full focus is now on trying to reduce the six-point gap to 20th spot.

That will be far easier said than done, although Morecambe can take the positives from going 12 games without shipping more than two goals in a single match.

Team News

After having last weekend off, Morecambe boss Adams has had time to contemplate making changes to his out-of-form side.

Scoring against Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy could lead to a recall for Cole Stockton, while Farrend Rawson is pushing for an opportunity in defence.

Exeter conceded three goals at Oxford when they were chasing the game, so Caldwell may be against making widespread changes for this contest.

Jack Sparkes should retain his spot at left wing-back, but Jay Stansfield is an option in the final third after being introduced at the break last time out.

Cheick Diabate returned last week after a foot problem and that issue will be assessed ahead of this game.

Morecambe possible starting lineup:
Ripley; Cooney, Rawson, Bedeau, Love; Weir, Shaw, Taylor; Watts, Stockton, Mayor

Exeter City possible starting lineup:
Blackman; Diabate, Hartridge, Sweeney; Caprice, Dieng, Collins, Sparkes; Key, Stansfield, Brown

We say: Morecambe 1-2 Exeter City

With neither side in particularly good form, that may suit the home side as they look to cause an upset. However, Exeter's recent defeats have been against better opposition, and we expect them to get back on track on Friday.

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