Morecambe manager mystified by the difference between their home and away results

The Shrimps welcome Gillingham to the Mazuma Stadium this afternoon for their 32nd game of the League One campaign.

A battle of fourth and third-bottom in League One sees the Shrimps bidding to make three wins from five and 10 points from 15 on home soil in 2022.

Despite sitting 21st in the overall table, Morecambe have the division’s 19th best home record this season with 20 points from 16 games.

Their Achilles heel has been the matches away from home with only nine points from 45 on their travels this season, ranking them 22nd when it comes to results on the road.

Ten of those 15 away matches have brought defeats with only the games at Crewe Alexandra and Fleetwood Town yielding three points.

Reflecting on that 10th away loss of the season, the defeat to Lincoln City in midweek, Robinson said: “Away from home, we have been poor in terms of picking up results.

“There’s no real reason for it. We don’t set up any differently, we still press and try to pass the ball.

“I think, perhaps, our fans at home make a difference in terms of the atmosphere they generate which can make the pitch seem smaller.

“That allows us to get about teams better but that can be the only thing.

“The backing of the fans is crucial because, away from home, you’re going to some grounds with 30,000 or 40,000 fans in.”

The midweek loss at Lincoln means Morecambe have only won one of their last seven league games going into this afternoon.

However, they remain firmly in the mix for survival as some of the teams above them are also failing to take three points.

Shrewsbury Town, who sit 18th in the table and five points ahead of Morecambe, have drawn five and lost one of their last six going into today’s trip to Plymouth Argyle.

One place below them are Fleetwood Town, who have drawn four and lost one of their previous five matches prior to meeting Cheltenham Town this afternoon.

AFC Wimbledon, who are one point ahead of the Shrimps in 20th, host Sunderland and haven’t won in their last 11 league matches: a run stretching back to December 7.

It means only five points separate Morecambe from a Lincoln team in 17th place, meaning there is plenty to play for in the final two-and-a-half months of the season.

“One win would take us out of it (the bottom four),” Robinson said.

“We’re at that stage where, in terms of picking up results, we’re going to win games people don’t expect us to - like Wycombe - and not to pick up points in the games where we are expected to.

“I believe we’re in a decent run of form. OK, we let ourselves down in the first 20 minutes at Lincoln because that was a great opportunity we didn’t take, but I can never knock the boys for their effort and enthusiasm.”

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