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The Cumbrians face a trip to Burslem tomorrow, hoping to improve on an average previous return from this fixture. Of the 14 games played the Blues have won just four while the home side Valiants have been victorious seven times.
The most recent encounter between the two sides was almost exactly ten months ago in April 2007, as United ran out 2-0 winners in a League One match. Danny Graham opened the scoring for Carlisle in the 27th minute, as 4,882 people looked on, with Joe Garner then wrapping up all three points with a 30-yard strike in injury time that would later win United's goal of the season award.
Games between the two clubs have been quite few and far between over the years, Vale's biggest home win over the Cumbrians came over 75 years ago in Carlisle's second season in the Football League. That being the 1928-29 Division Three North campaign when the Valiants defeated United 4-0 at home, in front of 9,279 spectators, on their way to the title. It was a significant season for the Blues as well though, Jimmy McConnell's 42 goals in the campaign still being a club record to this day, and one that never looks like being beaten.
Of Carlisle's other three wins at Vale Park all of which were in the old Third Division, the first came in 1986-87 in a campaign which eventually saw the Blues relegated. Carlisle winning 1-0 in April 1987, as 2,449 fans looked on, thanks to a second-half goal from Birmingham-loanee Guy Russell.
The second victory was a 1-0 win in 1977-78 (goalscorer - Phil Bonnyman, attendance - 3,942), and the third a 3-1 success in 1964-65 when the Cumbrians won the title (goalscorers - Barry Brayton, Eric Johnstone and Peter McConnell, attendance 8,003). In one of those funny statistics United haven't actually lost in a League match at Vale Park for over 40 years since they were defeated 2-0 there in March 1963.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams: | |||||
| 2007/2008 | Sat 05 Jan | Carlisle | 3 - 2 | Port Vale | LGE1 |
| 2006/2007 | Sat 07 Apr | Port Vale | 0 - 2 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
| 2006/2007 | Sat 25 Nov | Carlisle | 3 - 2 | Port Vale | LGE1 |
| 2001/2002 | Tue 16 Oct | Port Vale | 2 - 1 | Carlisle | ASSM |
| 1996/1997 | Tue 24 Sep | Carlisle | 2 - 2 | Port Vale | LGEC |
| 1996/1997 | Tue 17 Sep | Port Vale | 1 - 0 | Carlisle | LGEC |
| 1986/1987 | Sat 11 Apr | Port Vale | 0 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
Recent respective form guides
Port Vale have only collected one win and three draws from their last six home games played. The Valiants have managed to score a healthy eight goals in these games but have still conceded an alarming nine.
The away form of Carlisle is equally dire though, with United not winning on the road themselves since the 27th of October. The Blues managing only one meagre draw from their last six matches away from Brunton Park, having lost five in a row on the road. The Cumbrians have conceded a thumping 11 goals in these games and have only hit two in reply, the Blues not having scored in that run of five straight away defeats.
Port Vale had found themselves stuck right at the bottom of the division earlier in the week only for them to move up a place this morning following Bournemouth's ten point deduction for entering administration, Vale's 30 games yielding only 21 points so far. Carlisle meanwhile are just outside the automatic promotion places, in third, having taken 48 points from 28 games.
For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here
| Last six games form guide | P | W | D | L | F | A | P |
| Port Vale | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 4 |
| Carlisle | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
Although Carlisle have been far from successful in recent away games, the Footymad panel can see nothing other than an easy victory for them against Port Vale. Away win
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Port Vale | Not won in the four most recent games. Failed to win in previous two home matches. |
| Carlisle | Lost all previous five away games. Last drawn match 11 outings ago. Not won in last nine away games. |