Colchester United Match Stats Preview

History of the Carlisle United v Colchester United fixture

Carlisle face the U's this weekend, looking to continue a pretty impressive record at home against the Essex club. The Cumbrians clearly on top, having won ten, drawn two and lost only four of the 16 games played at Brunton Park.

Last season's League One match between the sides in Cumbria, in front of 4,469 fans, saw the Blues win 2-1 despite having Tom Taiwo sent off late in the first-half for picking up two yellow cards. All three goals in the game then coming in a seven minute spell from the midway point in the second period, as Clive Platt gave the U's the lead before Carlisle stormed in front thanks to two quick goals from Ben Marshall and then Jason Price.

In the 2008-09 campaign in League One Colchester won 2-0 in Carlisle as 5,745 spectators looked on. The U's getting a goal in either half, firstly when Danny Livesey put into his own net in the 11th minute before David Perkins wrapped up all three points for the visitors with a close range shot nine minutes from time.

The last time the two teams met in Cumbria before that was over 13 years ago, in October 1996, with Carlisle running out comfortable 3-0 winners in a Division Three (fourth tier) match. The goals for the Blues, in that promotion season, coming from David Currie, David Reeves and Owen Archdeacon in front of just 4,089 spectators.

Carlisle have three times defeated Colchester by a 4-0 scoreline at Brunton Park, those wins coming in September 1978, December 1980 and April 1988. The goalscorers and attendances for those victories being, in the old Division Three in 1978, Mike McCartney (pen), Phil Bonnyman, Mick Tait and Jimmy Hamilton, attendance - 4,491.

In 1980, again in the old Division Three, Peter Beardsley (2), Owen Brown and Gordon Staniforth, attendance - 3,196. Then finally in 1988 in the old Division Four, Tony Fyfe (2), Nigel Saddington and John Halpin, the attendance that April evening being a meagre 1,496 as United ended the season second bottom of the entire Football League.

Colchester meanwhile, in their three wins in Cumbria prior to last season, have defeated the Blues 3-1 in 1977-78, 2-1 in 1988-89 and 2-0 in 1992-93. That last victory of those three happening in front of only 3,003 spectators against a United line-up of : O'Hanlon, Burgess, Potts, Walling, McCreery (sub Gabbiadini), Edmondson, Oghani, Davey, Arnold, Proudlock and White.

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

Carlisle are not in the best of form at home of late, with two wins, two draws, and two defeats in their last six matches at Brunton Park. The Cumbrians have scored six goals in these games, but have also conceded seven. The away form of Colchester meanwhile is pretty dire, accumulating just one victory and one draw from their last six games played on the road. While the U's have netted only four goals in those matches, seven have hit the back of the wrong net.

Carlisle see themselves just below half-way in the League One table, in 14th place, showing a record of 53 points from their 41 games played so far. Colchester's 57 points from their 41 games contested to date sees them lie inside the top half of the table, in tenth position.

Current overall team form

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

FootyMad's prediction ...

Its been a relatively poor show from Carlisle at home in recent games, and, though the Footymad panel cannot see a run starting here, we do think the Cumbrians will at least gain a draw...... No-score draw

Sequence statistics

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