After a long trip to Swindon last weekend, the Blues make the far shorter journey to Morecambe on Saturday afternoon as they look to get back to winning ways.
With the Blues just four points off the play-off places with four games remaining in Sky Bet League Two, Keith Curle will be hoping his side can close that gap this weekend.
Morecambe, meanwhile, are not yet mathematically safe and will be looking to put further distance between themselves and the bottom two.
We put Jim Bentley’s men under the spotlight ahead of our visit to the Globe Arena:
Just About Safe
With the season nearing its end, the Shrimps look as if they have done enough to stave off relegation.
While mathematically Bentley’s side could still go down, a seven-point gap between them and second-bottom Barnet suggests that Morecambe will likely be safe.
Some eye-catching results in February and March – including wins over promotion-chasing duo Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers – have helped to put distance between the North West outfit and the bottom two.
Bentley will no doubt be desperate to ensure that survival is ensured mathematically sooner rather than later, though.
Winless in Five
It’s been a case of steady but unspectacular in the last few outings for Morecambe, with the Shrimps having failed to register a victory in their last five outings.
On the other side of the coin, however, Bentley’s side have lost just once in the same period as they came undone against Cheltenham Town.
Morecambe will now be hoping to turn the draws picked up in that period into wins, and if they can do that then they will shoot up the table.
What Does History Tell Us?
The two sides only met for the first time in 2004 but from their meetings since it’s Carlisle who have the better record.
Of the 16 times the pair have faced off, the Blues have claimed victory in six of them with Morecambe triumphant only once - a 3-2 success at Brunton Park in 2015.
Interestingly, nine of our meetings have ended in draws. Could we see a similar result this week?
Our league meeting this season was one of those draws, as Kelvin Etuhu’s strike was cancelled out by Steven Old as Morecambe took a point back to the Globe Arena.
Watch highlights from this season's home game below:
We also met the Shrimps in August 2017 as strikes from Hallam Hope and Jason Kennedy secured a 2-0 win in the Checkatrade Trophy.
Watch highlights from that game below:
Strong Record on the Road
Interestingly, all of Carlisle’s wins over Morecambe have come away from home - with the Blues yet to register a win against the Shrimps at Brunton Park.
United have drawn four times against the North West side on home soil having lost once, but have yet to take three points from Morecambe in Cumbria.
Away from home, however, the Blues have picked up five wins from their nine trips to Morecambe and have yet to lose to the Shrimps away from home – a record Curle will undoubtedly be keen to continue this weekend.
Ones to Watch
+ Garry Thompson - An experienced attacker, Thompson returned to the club where he began his career during the summer. He spent the last two years at Wycombe and proved his worth as a real threat in League Two. The winger has also represented Bradford, Notts County and Scunthorpe in a career spanning almost two decades. Comfortable providing assists and scoring himself, Thompson will undoubtedly be a key member of the Morecambe side this season.
+ Aaron Wildig - The former Shrewsbury Town midfielder moved to the Globe Arena in 2015 having previously spent time on loan with the Shrimps. A box-to-box midfielder, Wildig will look to drive Morecambe forward and has been a pivotal part of their squad since his arrival. Expect him to see plenty of the ball and make vital contributions at both ends of the pitch.
+ Kevin Ellison - With over 500 career appearances, Ellison adds some much needed experience to what is a relatively young Morecambe squad. Happy playing in any attacking position, whether centrally or out wide, Ellison is still contributing goals aplenty at the age of 38. He’s netted 69 times since joining the Shrimps in 2011 and will be keen to increase that tally this season.