|
The Blues visit North Lincolnshire tomorrow hoping to improve on an average previous return from matches at Scunthorpe. Of the 27 games played, United have recorded six wins while the Iron have been victorious twelve times.
The last match played between the two sides at Glanford Park was in March 2004 with Carlisle inflicting a 3-2 defeat on the Iron in a League Division Three (fourth tier) match. That 2003-04 season eventually seeing the Blues relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history. Scunthorpe came from behind twice with a Steven MacLean brace to cancel out goals from Peter Duffield and Mark Boyd only for Chris Billy to fire home a late Carlisle winner in front of just 2,326 spectators.
None of Carlisle's six wins at either Glanford Park of the Old Show Ground have been by more than one goal, perhaps the most well-known of those victories being in another 3-2 win, this time in the Division Four title-winning campaign of 1994-95. Ian Juryeff and Stephen Thornber had put the Iron 2-0 up in the first-half, as 3,217 fans looked on, only for the Blues to somehow grab all three points with three goals in the last five minutes, courtesy of Tony Gallimore and a Jeff Thorpe brace.
Scunthorpe's best margin of victory over the Blues has twice been by a 4-0 scoreline, once in Division Three North in 1955-56 and once in the Fourth Division in the 1991-92 season. That campaign in the early 90's seeing the Blues propping up the Football League as they were saved from relegation by the demise of Aldershot and Maidstone United, meanwhile the Iron lost on penalties to Blackpool in the Fourth Division play-off final at Wembley.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams: | |||||
| 2006/2007 | Sat 09 Dec | Carlisle | 0 - 2 | Scunthorpe | LGE1 |
| 2003/2004 | Tue 23 Mar | Scunthorpe | 2 - 3 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 2003/2004 | Tue 21 Oct | Carlisle | 1 - 4 | Scunthorpe | LGE2 |
| 2002/2003 | Tue 11 Mar | Carlisle | 1 - 2 | Scunthorpe | LGE2 |
| 2002/2003 | Mon 23 Dec | Carlisle | 0 - 1 | Scunthorpe | FAC |
| 2002/2003 | Sat 07 Dec | Scunthorpe | 0 - 0 | Carlisle | FAC |
| 2002/2003 | Tue 17 Sep | Scunthorpe | 3 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
Recent respective form guides
Scunthorpe haven't lost in their last six home games, winning five of them and drawing the other one, that against Nottingham Forest, their unbeaten record at Glanford Park stretching back to the 15th of December when they lost 2-1 at home to Blackpool. The Iron have scored ten goals and conceded two during their last six fixtures at home.
Carlisle's away form has been equally impressive of late, tasting defeat just once in their last six matches on the road, and picking up four good wins. Only seven goals have been scored in these games, though to be fair only a measly three have been let in at the wrong end.
Scunthorpe are the League One Champions going into this final game of the season, the Iron six points ahead of second-placed Bristol City with their 45 games giving them a return of 88 points.
After two consecutive home defeats Carlisle are now unable to make the play-offs, the Blues sitting in eighth, four points behind Oldham and Swansea in League One, picking up 68 points from their 45 games so far.
For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here
| Current home/away form guides: | P | W | D | L | F | A | P |
| Scunthorpe | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 12 |
| Carlisle | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 12 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
Carlisle are performing with pride on their travels, but the FootyMad panel believes it may not be enough to prevent the Iron coming away with a hard-fought home win. Home win.
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Scunthorpe | Won three successive home games. Not drawn a match in their last six fixtures. |
| Carlisle | Three successive away victories. Six matches since last away draw. |