Brentford Match Stats Preview

History of the Brentford v Carlisle United fixture
Carlisle pack their bags to visit Griffin Park tomorrow afternoon, United having a reasonable record at the home of their opponents having won four, drawn five and lost five of the 14 games played between the two sides in West London.

Last season though that record worsened as the Bees won 4-0 in front of the SKY cameras in late February. Harlee Dean giving the home side lead in the 28th minute before Sam Saunders made it 2-0 just four minutes later as 4,292 fans looked on. West Bromwich Albion loanee striker Saido Berahino then bagging a brace on 41 and 53 minutes to complete the rout.

The last time before that the teams faced each other in the nation's capital was of course on neutral ground though in early April 2011 as Carlisle won the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final 1-0 thanks to a 12th minute Peter Murphy strike in front of 40,476 spectators inside Wembley.

Nine days before that game however Carlisle went down 2-1 against Brentford in Griffin Park in League One, with all the action coming late in the match as a brace of goals from Leicester City-loanee Jeffrey Schlupp after 74 and 83 minutes put the Bees 2-0 up before Lubomir Michalik netted for the Blues with a free-kick two minutes from time as 4,365 fans looked on.

In League One in the 2009-10 season meanwhile the Cumbrians were on the losing side once more as they were defeated 3-1 at Griffin Park in mid-January 2010. Myles Weston putting the Bees 2-0 up when he scored on 31 and 55 minutes before Ian Harte pulled a goal back for the Blues from the penalty spot in the 81st minute. Ryan Dickson though making sure of all three points for the home side in the final minute in front of 5,089 spectators.

The only other time the two sides have met this century down south meanwhile was in the 2006-07 League One campaign as they fought out a 0-0 draw in January 2007. The best chance for the Blues to score, as 5,381 fans looked on, being a Karl Hawley header that came crashing back off the woodwork.

Carlisle's biggest win over the Bees came by the scoreline of 3-0 at Griffin Park in the 1979-80 season by virtue of goals from Tot Winstanley, Andrew Collins and Jim Hamilton in front of 6,130 spectators, United eventually finishing sixth in the old Division Three in that campaign.

Brentford's best of their five victories over the Blues at Griffin Park was a 6-1 hammering in 1964-65, bizarrely enough it coming in the same season United won the Division Three title, Frank Large scoring Carlisle's consolation strike as 8,400 fans looked on.

Recent encounters between the teams

For a detailed analysis of the complete head-to-head record between the two sides, click here

Recent respective form guides

Brentford are in decent form at home, having won four and drawn two of their last six games at Griffin Park. A total of eight goals have been scored by the Bees in those games, with four conceded. The Cumbrians have had a decent run of form away from home recently,  with three victories, two draws and just one loss from their last six outings on the road. The Cumbrians have a narrow positive goal difference over these games, with eight goals for and seven against.

Brentford's 25 points picked up from their 16 games played sees them lie inside the top half of the division, in ninth position. Carlisle meanwhile see themselves just below half-way in the npower League One table, showing a record of 20 points from their 16 games played so far.

Current overall team form

For a detailed analysis of current team form guides in this or any division, click here

FootyMad's prediction ...

The match against Brentford is likely to be a very close encounter, but one that the Madmen sees going the way of the home team..... Home win

Sequence statistics

For a detailed analysis of current team sequences throughout the leagues, click here