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Carlisle face the U's this weekend, looking to continue an impressive record at home against the Essex club. The Cumbrians clearly on top, having won nine and lost only three of the 14 games played at Brunton Park.
The last time the two teams met in Cumbria was just over eleven years ago, in October 1996, with Carlisle running out comfortable 3-0 winners in a Division Three (fourth tier) match. The goals for the Blues, in that promotion season, coming from David Currie, David Reeves and Owen Archdeacon in front of just 4,089 spectators.
Carlisle have three times defeated Colchester by a 4-0 scoreline at Brunton Park, those wins coming in September 1978, December 1980 and April 1988. The goalscorers and attendances for those victories being, in the old Division Three in 1978, Mike McCartney (pen), Phil Bonnyman, Mick Tait and Jimmy Hamilton, attendance - 4,491.
In 1980, again in the old Division Three, Peter Beardsley (2), Owen Brown and Gordon Staniforth, attendance - 3,196. Then finally in 1988 in the old Division Four, Tony Fyfe (2), Nigel Saddington and John Halpin, the attendance that April evening being a meagre 1,496 as United ended the season second bottom of the entire Football League.
Colchester meanwhile, in their three wins in Cumbria, have defeated the Blues 3-1 in 1977-78, 2-1 in 1988-89 and 2-0 in 1992-93. That last victory happening in front of only 3,003 spectators against a United line-up of : O'Hanlon, Burgess, Potts, Walling, McCreery (sub Gabbiadini), Edmondson, Oghani, Davey, Arnold, Proudlock and White.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams | |||||
| 2008/2009 | Sat 25 Oct | Colchester | 5 - 0 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
| 1996/1997 | Sun 20 Apr | Carlisle | 0 - 0 | Colchester | ASSM |
| 1996/1997 | Sat 18 Jan | Colchester | 1 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 1996/1997 | Tue 01 Oct | Carlisle | 3 - 0 | Colchester | LGE2 |
| 1994/1995 | Sat 29 Apr | Colchester | 0 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 1994/1995 | Sat 15 Oct | Carlisle | 0 - 0 | Colchester | LGE2 |
| 1993/1994 | Sat 07 May | Carlisle | 2 - 0 | Colchester | LGE2 |
Recent respective form guides
Carlisle are showing reasonable home form recently, having won four and lost two from their last six matches played at Brunton Park. A healthy total of 11 goals have been scored by the Cumbrians in those games, with a slightly hefty seven conceded.
Meanwhile Colchester have had a decent run of form away from home recently, with three victories, two draws and just one loss from their last six matches played on the road. The U's have a narrow positive goal difference over these games with seven goals for and five against.
Carlisle find themselves struggling down in 16th position in the league having picked up 32 points from their 27 matches played to date. Colchester however have risen up the league of late and their 39 points earned from 27 games contested sees them lie just inside the top half of the table, in 11th place.
For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here
| Last six games form guide | P | W | D | L | F | A | P |
| Carlisle | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 11 |
| Colchester | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 14 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
The Cumbrians go into their game against Colchester in relatively confident mood, but FootyMad sees them coming down to earth, with the visitors narrowly taking all three points. Away win
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Carlisle | Seven games since last home draw. Not won in the two most recent matches. |
| Colchester | Eight games since last defeat. Not won in previous two away matches. |