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The Blues pack their bags to visit what used to be Lancashire but is now Greater Manchester on Tuesday evening , hoping to improve upon an average previous return from this fixture. Of the 45 games played, the Cumbrians have recorded only 12 wins, and Rochdale have made home advantage tell with 22 victories.
The previous match played between the two at the 'Dale was just over two years ago in March 2004 with Rochdale running out comfortable 2-0 winners in a Division Three encounter. The United contingent made up pretty much half of the 4,775 crowd at Spotland that day but it counted for nothing in the end as it was just another away defeat in Carlisle's horrendous relegation season. It was certainly a game full of incident though with Matt Glennon sent off after 32 minutes for a professional foul on that man Grant Holt. 'Dale's Gary Jones coolly stepping up to slot home the penalty as United faced playing the next 68 minutes with ten men. It was Holt who rubbed salt into Cumbrian wounds just after the hour mark when he made it 2-0 to the home side and all but condemned the Blues to life in the Nationwide Conference.
For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here
| Recent encounters between the teams: | |||||
| 2005/2006 | Sat 31 Dec | Carlisle | 2 - 1 | Rochdale | LGE2 |
| 2003/2004 | Sat 20 Mar | Rochdale | 2 - 0 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 2003/2004 | Tue 14 Oct | Carlisle | 2 - 0 | Rochdale | ASSM |
| 2003/2004 | Sat 13 Sep | Carlisle | 3 - 2 | Rochdale | LGE2 |
| 2002/2003 | Sat 22 Feb | Rochdale | 0 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
| 2002/2003 | Fri 06 Sep | Carlisle | 0 - 2 | Rochdale | LGE2 |
| 2001/2002 | Tue 29 Jan | Rochdale | 1 - 1 | Carlisle | LGE2 |
Recent respective form guides
Rochdale are not in the best of form at home, with two wins, two draws, and two defeats in their last six. A meagre six goals have been both scored and conceded in this period. The 'Dale have improved of late though and are unbeaten in six matches, both at Spotland and on the road, those recent efforts having seen them secure League Two safety last Saturday with a 2-0 home win over play-off chasing Bristol Rovers.
The away league form of United. however, is much more impressive, with three victories and three draws from the last six matches on their travels. Those games have seen the Cumbrians knock home 12 goals, and let in only three, the Blues have only won one of their last four games away or at home though and still need three points to win the League Two championship, having secured automatic promotion two games ago with a 1-1 draw at Mansfield Town.
Rochdale see themselves just below half way in the League Two table, as they currently occupy 14th place. The 'Dale sporting a record of 55 points from their 44 games played so far, which leaves them in mid-table mediocrity for another season, being six points above the drop-zone and ten behind Lincoln City in the final play-off spot.
United are leading the way in League Two, albeit only on goal difference now from title challengers Northampton Town, with their 44 games giving them a return of 82 points. Carlisle claiming a very healthy 37 of those hard-earned points away from Brunton Park, with the Blues hoping to make that 40 on Tuesday night to put another trophy in the cabinet.
For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here
| Current league form guides: | P | W | D | L | F | A | P |
| Rochdale | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Carlisle | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 11 |
FootyMad's prediction ...
The Cumbrians decent recent efforts out on the road should see them narrowly take the spoils from the match with Rochdale, believes the FootyMad team. Away win
| Sequence statistics: | |
| Rochdale | Haven't lost for six matches, three of them at home. Only kept two clean sheets since mid-October |
| Carlisle | Drawn last two away games. Unbeaten in last six league matches on the road. |