Morecambe v York City: maximum high nets bonus for Shrimps (From York Press)

Morecambe v York City: maximum high nets bonus for Shrimps

11:52am Tuesday 21st August 2012 in Sport

Morecambe marksman Andy Fleming

YORK City travel to one of only three League Two teams to have won their first two fixtures of the new campaign tonight.

This evening’s hosts Morecambe, as well as Gillingham and Oxford United (if penalty shoot-outs are to be included), have emerged from the opening two weekends with 100 per cent records.

Following the Shrimps’ shock 3-0 win at Exeter on Saturday, Morecambe actually top the table after one match on an alphabetical basis, while ex-Wrexham midfielder Andy Fleming also heads the division’s goal charts, along with Gillingham forward Danny Kedwell.

Fleming’s brace at St James Park took his season’s tally to three after his goal in the 2-1 Capital One Cup upset at Championship neighbours Blackpool.

Ex-Minsterman Richard Brodie, however, has failed to find the net for his new club in the opening two matches following his loan move from Crawley Town.

Brodie, who is being used as the lone central striker in Jim Bentley’s 4-3-3 system, has now managed only two goals in 17 matches — his last against the Minstermen for Fleetwood in April and the other at then Blue Square Bet Premier bottom club Bath.

The 25-year-old forward is easing his way back to full fitness after a pre-season in which he got little match action at Crawley prior to his loan move to the Globe Arena.

Brodie completed 58 minutes against Exeter and is expected to start again tonight.

Right-winger Lewis Alessandra, who opened the scoring against Blackpool but then suffered a hamstring injury later in the match, is unlikely to be fit enough to return and his replacement at Exeter on Saturday – Izak Reid – also hit the target at St James Park.

Experienced former Doncaster and Rotherham centre-back Nick Fenton, meanwhile, is expected to be on the bench again after missing pre-season through injury.

The Lancashire coastal club finished 15th last season after ending the campaign with just one victory from their final nine fixtures.

Morecambe’s formation, like tomorrow night’s visitors, reaped greater awards away from home in 2011/12 and Bentley’s men have lost four of their last five contests on their own soil, where they last won on March 6, beating Cheltenham 3-1.

Manager Bentley, though, is looking forward to his team’s first match of the season at the two-year-old Globe Arena.

The former Manchester City apprentice played the last time the two clubs met when Morecambe clinched a 2-1 aggregate victory at their old Christie Park ground in the Conference play-off semi-finals en route to winning promotion to the Football League and, on that matter, Bentley said: “York will still think they owe us one after we beat them in the Conference play-offs and they will be keen to make an early impression in League Two.

“We know that newly-promoted sides play with a great deal of spirit because the adrenalin is still flowing and I am sure they will bring a big crowd with them.

“I’m hoping that our fans can turn out in numbers as well and make a noise like they did at Blackpool.”

Morecambe (probable): Roche, Reid, McCready, Parrish, Haining, Threlfall, Drummond, Fleming, McDonald, Brodie, Ellison.

Match facts

YORK City made three Conference trips to Morecambe’s Christie Park.

They lost on their first two visits 2-1 in 2004/5 and 2-0 the following season.

On New Year’s Day, 2007, they won 3-1 with goals from Steve Bowey, Craig Donaldson and Craig Farrell.

Later that campaign the clubs met in the promotion play-offs. After a goalless draw at Bootham Crescent, Morecambe won the second leg 2-1.

City’s line-up was: Evans, Lloyd, Parslow, McGurk, James (Peat), Bishop, Panther, Woolford, Bowey (Convery), Farrell, Donaldson (Brodie).

Bowey scored from the penalty spot.

It happened on August 21

1948: City opened the Division Three North season with a 3-1 home defeat against Crewe Alexandra in front of 10,123. Alf Patrick was the marksman.

1950: A Bootham Crescent crowd of 10,522 saw a 3-0 win over Hartlepools United with Harold Daniels (2) and Syd Storey on target.

1954: Arthur Bottom hit a hat-trick on his debut in a 6-2 Northern Section win at Wrexham. Also on the score sheet were fellow debutants Norman Wilkinson (2) and Sam McNab.The side was: Forgan, Phillips, Howe, Brown, Stewart, Spence, Slatter, Bottom, Wilkinson, McNab, Fenton.

1979: Ian McDonald (2) and Gary Ford netted in a 3-1 home win over Darlington. The attendance for this Fourth Division encounter was 2,537.

1993: A 2-1 win at Exeter City in Division Two (League One). The marksmen were Gary Swann and Glenn Naylor.

2004: A 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Hereford United in the Conference watched by 2,602.

2010: Michael Gash and Peter Till scored in a 2-2 draw at Bath City.

Compiled by David Batters