|
The Blues make the long trip down to the Sussex coast this weekend to take on the Seagulls, needing to turn around their fortunes on the Albion's territory. The Cumbrians will be hoping to improve on a record which has seen them ending up on the losing side in more than half of the games played between the two, United winning only three of the eleven matches contested between the two sides on Brighton turf.
The last time Carlisle made the 370-mile journey down to the South coast was back in November 2000 they were hammered 4-1 by their opponents in a Division Three (fourth tier) match. The Blues, facing their traditional relegation battle in those days, going 1-0 down after 21 minutes thanks to a Paul Watson goal, the Albion scored the next goal as well, albeit in the wrong net as Paul Mayo equalised for Carlisle four minutes before the break. That was as good as it got for United though, in front of 6,746 fans at the Withdean Stadium, as second-half strikes from Bobby Zamora (49), Watson again with a penalty on 62 and Lee Steele three minutes later condemned the Cumbrians to a heavy defeat.
Carlisle's three wins on Sussex soil have bizarrely all been 3-1 victories. United winning by that scoreline in 1998-99 - goals from Scott Dobie, Steve Finney and Scott Paterson (attendance 4,163), and in the 1996-97 promotion season - goals from Stephane Pounewatchy, Warren Aspinall and Allan Smart (attendance 4,155). The other victory came in another Division Four promotion campaign, in 1963-64, as United went up alongside local rivals Workington Reds, the goals on that last day of the season coming from a John Evans brace and Hugh McIlmoyle (attendance 8,773).
Brighton's biggest margin of victory over the Blues came just over 20 years ago at the old Goldstone Ground in the 1985-86 Second Division "Jim Tolmie" relegation campaign that saw the Blues fall through the trapdoor along with now Premiership clubs Middlesbrough and Fulham. In front of 8,608 spectators United found themselves 2-0 down at half-time only to ship another four goals in the second period, a solitary consolation strike from Rob Wakenshaw leaving the final scoreline at a gruesome 6-1 to the Seagulls.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams: | |||||
| 2006/2007 | Sat 23 Sep | Carlisle | 3 - 1 | Brighton | LGE1 |
| 2000/2001 | Sat 21 Apr | Carlisle | 0 - 0 | Brighton | LGE2 |
| 2000/2001 | Sat 04 Nov | Brighton | 4 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 1999/2000 | Sat 06 May | Brighton | 1 - 0 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 1999/2000 | Sat 09 Oct | Carlisle | 0 - 1 | Brighton | LGE2 |
| 1998/1999 | Sat 09 Jan | Brighton | 1 - 3 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 1998/1999 | Sat 08 Aug | Carlisle | 1 - 0 | Brighton | LGE2 |
Recent respective form guides
Brighton are in quite poor home form of late in the league, having won only two, drawn one and lost three of their last six League One matches played at the Withdean Stadium. These high-scoring games have yielded a total of seven goals for the Seagulls, with a hefty eleven goals against, Brighton infact having the joint second-worst record in the division for conceding goals on their own turf.
The away form of Carlisle is pretty dire this season to put it mildly, chalking up just one victory, with five defeats, from their last six League One matches on the road. The Cumbrians have conceded 12 goals in these games, and only scored three in reply, United only having netted a shocking eight goals away from home in fifteen matches this season in League and Cup.
Brighton see themselves just below half-way in the League One table, in 13th place - one spot behind the Blues, showing a record of 31 points from their 24 games played so far.
Carlisle's 33 points from 24 games sees them lie just inside the top half of and needing to avoid defeat at the Withdean Stadium on Saturday afternoon in order not to drop into the bottom half of the division.
For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here
| Current league form guides : | P | W | D | L | F | A | P |
| Brighton | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 7 |
| Carlisle | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 6 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
FootyMad see this game edging towards a narrow win for the Seagulls, as the Cumbrians have been none too clever on the road in recent matches. Home win
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Brighton | Eight games since last home draw. Not won in the three most recent matches. |
| Carlisle | Last drawn game nine outings ago. Lost all of the previous three away matches. |