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The Blues travel to Staffordshire this weekend, needing to turn around their fortunes at Vale Park. United looking to improve on a record which has seen them lose seven and win only three of their 13 outings there.
The last time the two teams met at the ground was back in October 2001 when the Valiants carved out a narrow 2-1 victory in an LDV Vans Trophy Round One match. Carlisle took the lead on 18 minutes through a Richie Foran header before Ian Armstrong's deflected shot restored parity nine minutes after the break, Vale going on to win the tie, in front of 3,101 spectators, thanks to a Steve Brooker finish bang on the hour mark.
You have to go right back to the 1986-87 season to find the last league game the sides contested at Vale Park, that coming in the old Division Three, a campaign which eventually saw the Blues relegated. It was also one of United's only three victories in Burslem, Carlisle winning 1-0, as 2,449 fans looked on, thanks to a second-half goal from Birmingham-loanee Guy Russell.
Games between the two clubs have been quite few and far between over the years, Vale's biggest home win over the Cumbrians came over 75 years ago in Carlisle's second season in the Football League. That being the 1928-29 Division Three North campaign when the Valiants defeated United 4-0 at home, in front of 9,279 spectators, on their way to the title. It was a significant season for the Blues as well though, Jimmy McConnell's 42 goals in the campaign still being a club record to this day, and one that never looks like being beaten.
Carlisle's only other two wins at Vale Park, excluding the 1986-87 game, both also came in the Third Division. The first one 1-0 in 1977-78 (goalscorer - Phil Bonnyman, attendance - 3,942), and the second in 1964-65 when the Cumbrians won the title (goalscorers - Barry Brayton, Eric Johnstone and Peter McConnell, attendance 8,003). In one of those funny statistics United haven't actually lost in a League match at Vale Park for over 40 years since they were defeated 2-0 there in March 1963.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams: | |||||
| 2006/2007 | Sat 25 Nov | Carlisle | 3 - 2 | Port Vale | LGE1 |
| 2001/2002 | Tue 16 Oct | Port Vale | 2 - 1 | Carlisle | ASSM |
| 1996/1997 | Tue 24 Sep | Carlisle | 2 - 2 | Port Vale | LGEC |
| 1996/1997 | Tue 17 Sep | Port Vale | 1 - 0 | Carlisle | LGEC |
| 1986/1987 | Sat 11 Apr | Port Vale | 0 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
| 1986/1987 | Tue 04 Nov | Carlisle | 2 - 0 | Port Vale | LGE1 |
| 1977/1978 | Sat 22 Apr | Port Vale | 0 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE1 |
Recent respective form guides
Port Vale have lost just once in their last six home games, that defeat coming against Tranmere, the Valiants winning four of their other five recent matches at Vale Park. These high-scoring games have yielded a total of 13 goals for the Valiants, although six goals have been conceded.
The Cumbrians have had a decent run of form away from home recently, with three victories and just one loss from their last six outings on the road. The Blues have a narrow positive goal difference over these games with six goals for and four against.
Port Vale's 54 points from 40 games played sees them lie inside the top half of the table, in 12th position, the Valiants seemingly in end-of-season no mans land as they sit 13 points off the drop zone and 11 points away from the play-off places with only six matches to go.
Carlisle's 59 points from 40 games contested sees them sitting in the top half of the League One table, in ninth position. The Blues still looking to sneak into the last play-off spot which they are currently six points short of.
For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here
| Current home/away form guide | P | W | D | L | F | A | P |
| Port Vale | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 11 |
| Carlisle | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 11 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
An interesting game for the Cumbrians to play at the moment, and one that the Footymad panel believe will see United take away one point. Score draw
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Port Vale | No sequences of note |
| Carlisle | Four games since last defeat. Four matches since last away draw. |