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To get to this third round stage Carlisle first thumped Tipton Town 6-0 at home before scraping past another non-league opponent, in Tamworth, 3-2 at Brunton Park thanks to two goals in the last four minutes. Torquay meanwhile defeated Blue Square Bet Premier outfit Mansfield 1-0 on the road in the first round before beating Walsall 1-0 at home yesterday courtesy of a first-half Billy Kee penalty in front of 2,334 spectators.
As far as other cup form is concerned the Gulls were knocked out of the Carling Cup in the first round when they lost 1-0 at home to Reading after extra-time, while in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy they exited the competition at the second round stage when they went down 2-0 at Swindon, after beating Bournemouth 3-0 on penalties at Dean Court following a 0-0 round one draw.
League-wise, the Devonians sit sixth in the League Two table at present, but they have only picked up 11 of their 28 points at Plainmoor, their home form reading three wins, two draws and three defeats with 13 goals scored and 10 conceded. The Gulls looking a patchy side this season with a starting run of four wins and a draw in six, then ten games without a win and now eight matches unbeaten.
As far as home league form against Carlisle over the years is concerned it's looking quite good for the Blues with a record of six wins, four draws and nine defeats in Devon. The last match between the two sides at Plainmoor being a 4-3 victory for the Cumbrians in the League Two title winning season of 2005-06 thanks to a Karl Hawley hat-trick and a late Kevin Gray winner.
Elsewhere in the third round draw the standout tie is obviously Manchester United v Liverpool, that game as well Arsenal v Leeds and Stevenage v Newcastle you would think likely to be televised matches. One other game, in Leicester City v Manchester City being coincidentally drawn out by the fans of those clubs in Pizzorno for the Foxes and Gallagher for the Sky Blues.
Third Round Draw In Full
Burnley v Port Vale
Coventry City v Crystal Palace
Bristol City v Sheffield Wednesday
Fulham v Peterborough
Doncaster Rovers v Wolves
Brighton or FC United of Manchester v Portsmouth
Huddersfield Town v Dover Athletic
Crawley Town or Swindon v Derby County
West Ham Utd v Barnsley
Reading v West Bromwich Albion
Arsenal v Leeds United
Sheffield United v Aston Villa
Leicester City v Manchester City
Bolton Wanderers v York City
Blackburn Rovers v Queens Park Rangers
Swansea City v Colchester United
Wycombe Wanderers v Hereford United or Lincoln City
Stevenage Borough v Newcastle United
Burton Albion v Middlesbrough
Millwall v Birmingham City
Southampton v Blackpool
Watford v Hartlepool United or Yeovil Town
Chelsea v Ipswich Town
Sunderland v Notts County or Bournemouth
Scunthorpe United v Everton
Manchester United v Liverpool
Hull City v Wigan Athletic
Stoke City v Cardiff City
Tottenham Hotspur v Charlton or Luton Town
Preston North End v Nottingham Forest
Norwich City v Droylsden or Leyton Orient
Torquay United v Carlisle United
*Ties will be played on weekend of 8/9 January 2011