Essex beckons for the Blues on Tuesday night with a game against Colchester United which will, no doubt, prove to be another stern test.
| Carlisle wins | Draws | Colchester wins | |
| League | 18 | 11 | 20 |
| League Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 18 | 11 | 21 |
Colchester are currently on an extremely frustrating run but QPR striker Aramide Oteh bolstered the ranks midway through January on the same day that popular winger Luke Gambin headed out of the door to join League Two rivals Newport County.
A flurry of activity at the end of the month saw Frank Nouble arrive from Plymouth, Brendan Wiredu come in from Charlton and Josh Doherty head round the M25 from Crawley, in a bid to help to steady the ship.
A whopping 12 league draws have meant that Colchester have hovered around the bottom reaches of the division for most of the season, with opportunities to win games missed and adding to the frustration.
Heading into the weekend the U's had the extra frustration of a 13-game run without a win, which had seen them drop at an alarming rate towards the bottom two spots.
Head coach Steve Ball was relieved of his duties last week, as a consequence of that run, and Wayne Brown was announced as interim coach ahead of Saturday's Forest Green away trip.
That game, an evening kick off, proved to be a difficult one, with Rovers claiming a 3-0 victory despite being reduced to ten men with still half of the game left to play.
We're going for the experienced Frank Nouble.
Now in his second spell at Colchester - he scored 14 goals in just over 90 appearances first time round - he announced his return with a strike in the 2-2 home draw with Mansfield on Valnetine's Day.
Strong and steady, his link-up play brings others into the mix and he's another forward thinking player who knows how to work the defenders.
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The U's were at Brunton Park in October 2020 where goals from Lewis Alessandra and Jon Mellish put the hosts two goals to the good. Luke Norris netted a brace to level things up, but Aaron Hayden struck late to keep the points in Cumbria.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Colchester's visit to Brunton Park in March 2020 saw them pick up a 3-0 victory as they maintained their push for a top seven spot.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
We were at their place just before Christmas in 2019 and it was a day where Colchester took their chances and claimed the victory.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
The February meeting during the 2018/19 season brought a hard-fought draw, with Hallam Hope giving the Blues the lead just after half time. The U's upped their game and they got their reward with an equaliser from Frankie Kent with just six minutes left to play.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Colchester were at Brunton Park just before Christmas that season for a game that went the way of the home side thanks to a blistering second half display. Hallam Hope had set the tone with a goal just before the break, and Jerry Yates, Jamie Devitt and Danny Grainger wrapped things up as they hit the back of the net in a second period which was all about the Blues.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
The first meeting of these teams during the 17/18 season was for our October visit to Essex. It was a tight game, with both sides creating good chances, but a superb finish from Jamie Devitt proved to be the difference when he got on the end of a long ball forward before calmly slotting it beneath Walker's dive to find the bottom corner.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Back up at Brunton Park in February 2018 and Courtney Senior gave the visitors the upper hand with a well taken goal just before the break. The Blues came out for the second half in determined mood and Jamie Devitt pounced once more to claim a point for his side with just 10 minutes left on the clock.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Referee - Trevor Kettle
Assistant Referee 1 - Andrew Aylott
Assistant Referee 2 - Darren Blunden
Fourth Official - Martyn Holmes
Observer - Mick Russell
Our referee for this game is Mr Trevor Kettle.
He has taken charge of 23 games so far this season and has shown 64 yellow cards and four reds.
He was last our man in the middle in November 2019 when we played Forest Green away in the FA Cup. Nathan Thomas scored both goals in a 2-2 draw. Thomas was also booked, along with Gethin Jones and Byron Webster.
He was also in charge when we faced Colchester United at the Weston Homes in February 2019. The U's equalised late in the day, after Hallam Hope had put the Blues ahead early in the second half, and Anthony Gerrard, Stefan Scougall and Mark Cullen all went into the official's notebook.
Prior to that he was our man in the middle for our trip to Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena in September 2017. Second half goals from Duckens Nazon and Peter Vincenti gave the Sky Blues a comfortable two-goal victory and Danny Grainger, Luke Joyce and Hallam Hope had their names taken on the day.
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