Grimsby Town vs Bury. Sky Bet League Two.
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Friday 22 March 2019 10:12, UK
Grimsby will hand a late fitness test to Alex Whitmore before selecting their starting XI to host Bury in Sky Bet League Two.
The centre-back missed training due to an unspecified injury, but has not yet been ruled out. The Mariners will also be without Elliot Embleton, who is on international duty with England Under-20s. Saturday represents Grimsby's first fixture since John Welsh's departure, by mutual consent.
Bury have a near fully-fit squad from which to choose. The Shakers' last game was a 1-0 win at Stevenage on March 9, given a waterlogged pitch meant the postponement of their subsequent fixture with Cambridge.
Should manager Ryan Lowe seek to make changes to a winning line-up, Byron Moore, Dominic Telford and Gold Omotayo are among those pushing for a recall. Stephen Dawson and Jermaine Beckford will again miss out, owing to respective long-term foot and knee injuries.
Grimsby have only lost two of their last 19 home league games against Bury (W12 D5), and only one of the last seven (W4 D2), although this is their first such meeting since a 1-1 draw in January 2010.
Bury, 4-0 winners in their home match against Grimsby this season in September, last did a league double over the Mariners in the 1990-91 third tier campaign.
Grimsby have failed to win any of their last five games in League Two (D2 L3), having previously won four in a row.
Bury are unbeaten in their last 13 games in League Two, winning nine and drawing four.
Bury have scored 22 goals in their last 15 minutes of games this season, at least six more than any other team in League Two.
Grimsby are pretty much coasting to the end of the season now knowing they can't go up or down, and that has shown in their recent results.
Bury haven't played in a couple of weeks which has given them a good opportunity to rest some legs ahead of the run-in. They should have enough to claim all three points and maintain their promotion charge.
Prutton predicts: 1-2 (8/1 with Sky Bet)
