Tranmere Rovers are the next visitors to Brunton Park this weekend.
Match Sponsor - Solway DAF
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Associate Sponsor - In Memory of Adrian Scott.
Match Ball Sponsor - Kingmoor Park
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Assistant head coach Gavin Skelton takes charge of the Blues this weekend with youth coach Eric Kinder in the technical area alongside him, following the departure of Chris Beech last weekend.
Rovers brought former boss Micky Mellon back to Prenton Park (one year after his departure) at the end of May. The 49-year-old left the Merseyside club in July 2020 after leading them from the National League to League One following successive promotions.
Mellon joined Dundee United after Rovers were relegated to League Two on a points-per-game basis at the end of the Covid affected campaign.
July was extremely busy, with a number of new arrivals, and that theme continued into August as the new boss continued with his rebuild.
Keeper Ross Doohan signed on-loan from Celtic, and deadline day saw Mark Duffy, Nicky Maynard, Stephen Walker and Lee O'Connor walk through the door.
Sunderland winger Josh Hawkes also beat the clock to complete a season long loan, but he had to wait until two days after the window had closed before confirmation came through.
Tranmere head our way on a four-game unbeaten league run, and they've conceded just one goal during that quartet of fixtures.
The overall form of just one defeat from the last eight games in all competitions shows that they're a difficult side to deal with, and the current fifth spot placing is testament to their steely defence, with just four goals conceded.
Having said that, their goals for column shows just eight to their tally, one of the lowest returns in the division.
Experienced midfielder Jay Spearing tends to make things tick.
He anticipates where the ball will be, and does what he can to disrupt the opposition before they get themselves going.
He also has an eye for a pass, is very vocal, and is key to the way Tranmere play.
Click HERE to purchase an audio match pass which will allow you to listen to this game via our streaming iFollow service.
With match commentary provided by BBC Radio Cumbria, this is a fantastic way to follow your team through the season.
Match audio passes are available for ALL EFL league games - click HERE to find out more about this season’s iFollow United service.
| Carlisle wins | Draws | Tranmere wins | |
| League | 31 | 16 | 31 |
| Trophy | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| League Cup | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 34 | 19 | 36 |
A game that could have gone either way saw James Vaughan grab a late winner as Tranmere took the spoils home in February 2021. Vaughan had also scored in the first half, as did Kane Woolery, with Josh Kayode and Nick Anderton bagging for the Cumbrians.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
These teams met at Prenton Park in November 2020 with Keith Hill newly-appointed as manager. It was a tight game, but Corey Taylor netted the only goal of the encounter just after the break.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
It was a comfortable three-goal home victory for Rovers in March 2019 when Ollie Banks broke the deadlock just before half time. Oliver Norwood and Manny Monthe completed the scoring after the break.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Tranmere took all three points home from their trip to Cumbria in September 2018. The Blues had 15 minutes to forget at the end of the game as a penalty miss was followed by an own goal from Tom Parkes, and a killer blow from Paul Mullin just before the final whistle.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
Our last meeting prior to that was in February 2015, at Prenton Park, when a quickfire double from Charlie Wyke just after the break secured a 2-0 away victory for the Blues. It came at a price as Kyle Dempsey received his marching orders deep into time added on.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
The league meeting at Brunton Park earlier that season was a tense affair, but a nice finish from David Amoo with just 20 minutes left to play proved to be the difference as the Cumbrians battled their way to a hard-earned three points.
Watch the highlights from that game here:
The trio of meetings from that season was completed, again at Prenton Park, when the sides came together in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Brad Potts got on the end of a good move to cancel out a first half Max Power goal, but it was Tranmere who progressed as they got the better of the penalty shoot-out, winning by 5-4 at the end of a very long night.
Watch the highlights of that game here:
Referee - Andrew Kitchen
Assistant Referee 1 - Darren Williams
Assistant Referee 2 - Peter Gooch
Fourth Official - Chris Isherwood
Observer - Nigel Miller
Our referee for this game is Mr Andrew Kitchen. He has been in charge of nine games so far this season showing 25 yellow cards and one red.
This is his first season on the EFL list and the first time he has been the man in the middle for a Carlisle United fixture.
Don't forget that ticket prices increase by £3 on a match day.
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Alternatively, you can purchase your tickets in-person here at our main ticket office during office hours (Pioneer Stand), online by clicking HERE, or over the phone by ringing 0330 094 5930 (option 1).