It's a tough test on the road for the Blues this Saturday as they head to the County Ground to face fancied Swindon Town.
It was a busy June and July for Robins manager Richie Wellens as he brought no fewer than nine new faces through the door during the months of June and July.
One of them, of course, was Rotherham-loanee Jerry Yates who had caught the eye of a number of clubs during the last campaign when he notched seven goals in 29 appearances for Carlisle United.
As well as Yates, who opened his account for the Robins last weekend, keep an eye out for defenders Danny Ballard (Arsenal), Mathieu Baudry (MK Dons), Zeki Fryers (Barnsley) and Rob Hunt (Oldham). They've been joined by midfielders Jordan Lyden (Villa) and Adam May (Pompey), as well as wide man Lloyd Isgrove (Barnsley), and striker Diallang Jaiyesmi completes the activity seen from the last seven weeks alone.
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Last season
It's fair to say that the Robins under-achieved last season as they struggled to find consistency at key stages of the campaign.
Smack bang in the middle of the table, with 64 points, eight home victories made it tough going for the locals as they also watched their side rattle up nine frustrating draws on their own turf.
A goal difference of +3 over the course of the 46 league games suggested they were just as likely to concede as they were to score and, as you'll see in the highlights below, they lost both encounters with the Cumbrians last term.
Things got off to a good start in the league this time round as Jerry Yates and Keshi Anderson pounced to help Swindon to a 2-0 opening away day at Scunthorpe, but things weren't as bright in the newly named Leasing.com trophy as Chelsea's under-21 side earned an unexpected 3-2 victory at the County Ground on Tuesday night.
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From the manager
Speaking ahead of the game, Steven Pressley said: "I went to watch them on Tuesday night and even though they lost the game they played very well for long periods.
"Richie has got them very well organised and they have good threats and options going forward. They'll have taken a lot from what was a very good result on the opening day at Scunthorpe, and I'm sure they will be looking to be in the top places this season.
"As I've said before, it comes down to us and how we approach the game. If we play with the desire and determination we showed on Saturday, and if we concentrate on playing the game the way we want to play it, then I know we will cause them problems.
"We go into the game with confidence as well, and that can be a big factor. We have players who can adapt and play a number of ways to suit the game, and we're looking to build and improve on what we saw last week.
"There's no doubt our supporters will be there in their numbers, as they always are, and I've said repeatedly this summer that the one thing I can guarantee for them is that their players and staff will be committed to doing everything they can to get the results they want to see."
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Head2Head
|
Carlisle wins |
Draws |
Swindon wins |
|
|
League |
11 |
19 |
12 |
|
FA Cup |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Total |
12 |
20 |
14 |
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Highlights from previous meetings
Swindon Town 0 - 4 Carlisle United, Saturday 17 November 2018
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Carlisle United 2 - 1 Swindon Town, Saturday 9 March 2019
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Match officials
Referee - Nicholas Kinseley
Assistant Referee 1 - Marvyn Amphlett
Assistant Referee 2 - Richard Morris
Fourth Official - Craig Taylor
Mr Kinseley kicked his season off at Northampton last weekend and it was a busy game as he ended up brandishing six yellow cards. Last season he showed 74 yellow cards and two reds in his 24 games.
He was last in charge of a Carlisle game when we travelled to face Crawley just before Christmas last year. Jerry Yates, Jack Sowerby and Danny Grainger (penalty) scored the goals as we came away with a hard-earned 3-2 victory. Yates was the only United player to pick up a yellow card.
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Is that a fact?
The original Saxon settlement of Swindon sat in a defensible position atop a limestone hill.
It is referred to in the Domesday Book as Suindune, believed to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon words swine and dun meaning 'pig hill.' As time went on, it became known as 'Swine's Town' and subsequently, of course, Swindon.
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Match tickets
Full match ticket details are HERE.
You can purchase your tickets online HERE.
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