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The Blues welcome the Swans to Cumbria this weekend, looking to continue an impressive record. United are clearly on top in the head-to-head record at home, winning 60% of the games played between the two clubs.
The last match played between Carlisle and Swansea at Brunton Park was in the midst of United's shocking start to the 2003-04 season that eventually saw the Blues relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history. The Swans winning 2-1 courtesy of a penalty from Lee Trundle, who produced a virtuoso display of diving that Saturday afternoon, and a direct free-kick from Mark Wilson. Carlisle's goal, a spot-kick from Richie Foran, having seen the Blues 1-0 up at half-time in front of 4,854 spectators.
The most remembered game between the two teams came at the Millennium Stadium in the LDV Vans final just over a year ago, the Swans, a division higher than Carlisle at the time, winning 2-1 as 42,028 fans watched a match that will be remembered for the idiotic post-game actions of City players Lee Trundle and the unrepentant Alan Tate as much as the match itself.
Trundle himself opened the scoring as early as the third minute with Adam Murray equalising for the Blues in the 40th minute, Adebayo Akinfenwa's 81st minute goal winning the competition for Swansea despite Glenn Murray hitting the bar for the Cumbrians in injury time with a spectacular overhead kick.
Carlisle's best victory over the Swans was in the 1996-97 Division Three (fourth tier) promotion season. The Cumbrians thumping City 4-1 at Brunton Park thanks to goals from Steve Hayward, Paul Conway, Warren Aspinall and Owen Archdeacon as 5,114 spectators looked on. Swansea have won three times in ten outings at Brunton Park, all three of those victories coming by a narrow one goal margin.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams: | |||||
| 2006/2007 | Sat 16 Dec | Swansea | 5 - 0 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
| 2005/2006 | Sun 02 Apr | Carlisle | 1 - 2 | Swansea | ASSM |
| 2003/2004 | Sat 03 Apr | Swansea | 1 - 2 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 2003/2004 | Sat 27 Sep | Carlisle | 1 - 2 | Swansea | LGE2 |
| 2002/2003 | Sat 15 Mar | Swansea | 1 - 2 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 2002/2003 | Sat 26 Oct | Carlisle | 2 - 2 | Swansea | LGE2 |
| 2001/2002 | Sat 09 Mar | Carlisle | 3 - 1 | Swansea | LGE2 |
Recent respective form guides
Carlisle have collected two wins and three draws from their last six home matches, the one defeat coming last time out at Brunton Park against Bristol City A total of eleven goals have been scored by the Cumbrians in those games, with six conceded.
Swansea have an average recent record on the road, with two wins, two draws, and two defeats. To complete the 50-50 record six goals have been both scored and conceded in the Swans last six matches away from the Liberty Stadium.
Carlisle lie just outside the play-off positions in the League One table, picking up 68 points from their 44 games so far, the Blues currently one point behind Swansea and two behind sixth-placed Oldham in the race for the last play-off spot. The Swans having gained 69 points from their 44 games played to date.
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 |
| Carlisle | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 15 |
| Swansea | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 11 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
It's a close one to call, but the Footymad panel think that the Cumbrians reasonable showing at home is going to see them scrape past Swansea. Home Win
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Carlisle | Four games since last home draw. Not drawn a match in their last six. |
| Swansea | Five games since last defeat. Not won in previous three away matches. |