|
The Cumbrians make the relatively short journey down to West Yorkshire to take on Bradford City at the Bradford & Bingley Stadium tomorrow, needing to turn around their fortunes at the ground. The Cumbrians will be hoping to improve upon a record which has seen them lose twelve and win only four of the 22 games played between the two clubs on City soil.
The last time the sides met at Bradford City was more than a decade ago, on April the 8th 1996, with the Bantams running out comfortable 3-1 winners in a Division Two encounter, that season seeing Carlisle relegated at the first hurdle and City being promoted after defeating Notts County in the promotion play-off final. Ian Ormondroyd, Mark Stallard and Neil Tolson scoring the goals for the home side that Bank Holiday afternoon, with Steve Hayward replying for the Blues in front of just 6,156 spectators.
The last time the Cumbrians tasted success against the Bantams on the road was way back in that 1974-75 season, Carlisle winning 1-0 through a first-half Les O'Neill goal in a League Cup second round tie attended by 6,969 fans. You have to go back miles further for United's last league win at Valley Parade, that coming when Winston Churchill was still in power in the 1951-52 season, when both clubs were in Division Three North. James Whitehouse bagging a brace for the Blues as they won 2-1 in front of a bumper 1950's crowd, while football was at it's post-war peak, of 13,701 spectators at Valley Parade.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams: | |||||
| 2006/2007 | Tue 22 Aug | Carlisle | 1 - 1 | Bradford City | LGEC |
| 1995/1996 | Mon 08 Apr | Bradford City | 3 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
| 1995/1996 | Sat 21 Oct | Carlisle | 2 - 2 | Bradford City | LGE1 |
| 1985/1986 | Fri 13 Dec | Bradford City | 1 - 0 | Carlisle | CHMP |
| 1985/1986 | Sat 17 Aug | Carlisle | 1 - 2 | Bradford City | CHMP |
| 1979/1980 | Sat 05 Jan | Carlisle | 3 - 2 | Bradford City | FAC |
| 1977/1978 | Sat 11 Mar | Bradford City | 2 - 2 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
Recent respective form guides
Bradford City are in decent form at home, having won four and drawn two of their last six games at Valley Parade, a total of eleven goals being scored by the Bantams in those games, with six conceded.
United have an average recent record on the road as of late, losing only one of the last six, but only winning one of them as well, that being a 2-0 victory over Rochdale at Spotland. The Cumbrians have a narrow positive goal difference over these games, with just four goals netted yet only three against.
Bradford City's ten points from seven games sees them lie inside the top half of the table, in ninth position, although no wins in their last three league games has seen them slide down to that position.
United's total of twelve points from their seven games played sees them sitting inside the play-off places, in fifth spot, in League One, the Blues taking advantage of an easier early-season run of fixtures compared to the Bantams.
For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here
| Current home and away form guides: | P | W | D | L | F | A | P |
| Bradford City | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Carlisle | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 9 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
With United only showing average form on the road, Footymad believe that a draw at the Bradford & Bingley Stadium will be a good result. No-score draw
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Bradford City | Unbeaten in the last eight home games. Not won in the four most recent matches. |
| Carlisle | Six games since last defeat. Not won in previous four away matches. |