Tranmere Rovers Match Stats Preview

History of the Tranmere Rovers v Carlisle United fixture

The Blues face a trip down to the Wirral on Tuesday evening, looking to improve on an average record at Prenton Park. United having won eleven, drawn seven and lost 22 games in a total of 40 matches played between the two sides at the home of Tranmere over the years.

Last season in League One the Cumbrians were on the losing side in a 2-1 defeat on the New Year Bank Holiday Monday. A remarakble game seeing Peter Murphy smack an early penalty well over the top for Carlisle before Ian Goodison gave the home side the lead in the 39th minute as 5,128 spectators looked on.

The same penalty spot then coming into play again for Tranmere twice in the second-half when Blues stopper Adam Collin saved penalties from first Ian Thomas-Moore and then Aaron Cresswell before United equalised after 78 minutes through James Berrett. Parity in the match not lasting long though when Thomas-Moore scored what would turn out to be the winning goal in the game just two minutes later.

In the 2009-10 League One season the two teams fought out a dour 0-0 draw on the Wirral on the 28th December 2009 in front of 6,313 fans. Tranmere going the closest to finding the net in the 64th minute when now United player Craig Curran hit the underside of Adam Collin's crossbar with a close range effort.

In the 2008-09 campaign in League One the Cumbrians crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Prenton Park with all the goals coming in the second-half. Ian Thomas-Moore and Gareth Edds putting the home side 2-0 up before Danny Graham pulled a goal back for United. Further Rovers goals from Steve Jennings and Thomas-Moore again condemning the Blues though to a disappointing result as 5,924 spectators looked on.

Carlisle have endured some other heavy defeats on the Wirral over the years, the Blues having been hammered 6-1 on three occasions. The last time United were thumped by that scoreline was in the 2001-02 season in the second round of the FA Cup. Tranmere were already 3-0 up on 17 minutes through a Jason Koumas brace and a goal from former Blue Jason Price before Ian Stevens missed a penalty and Will McDonagh was sent off on his debut for two bookings as the Blues compounded their own misery.

That was rubbed in even further bang on the half-time whistle when Koumas completed his hat-trick with a long-range rasper. Stuart Barlow's penalty for Rovers on 70 minutes then made the score 5-0 before Richie Foran grabbed what could loosely be called a consolation goal for Carlisle just sixty seconds later. In front of an attendance of 7,428 fans though the home side had the final word in the 76th minute when Stephen Yates completed the 6-1 rout.

United's best margin of victory at Prenton Park has twice been by a scoreline of 3-0, once in Division Four in 1961-62 and once in Division Three North in 1947-48. The most memorable of those seasons was the promotion campaign in the early 60's as the Blues finished fourth in the old Division Four. Carlisle's win away to Rovers in early October coming thanks to a George Walker brace and a goal from Sammy Taylor as 10,050 spectators 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

Tranmere have collected two wins, three draws and one defeat from their last six home matches. These games have seen Rovers score just seven goals, although they have also conceded only four. Carlisle meanwhile have an average recent record on the road, with two wins, two draws, and two defeats in their last six matches away from Brunton Park, seven goals have been both scored and conceded for United in this period.

Tranmere's 11 points picked up from their opening seven games of the season sees them lie inside the top half of the table, in tenth position. Carlisle on the other hand have notched up 10 points from their seven matches and that also sees them United sitting just in the top half of League One, in 12th place.

Current overall team form

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FootyMad's prediction ...

Carlisle have a relatively reasonable record on their travels as of late, and the Footymad panel can certainly see them gleaning a point from their game against Tranmere............ No-score draw

Sequence statistics

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