Match Preview: Town Vs Carlisle

By Cuthbert
March 29 2002

If we win tonight then I will have a pint of Irish ale. But if we lose then it will be a bottle of Whisky, a packet of Woodbines, and something long and hard of Rupes against my head.

Carlisle have only won one away game all season, but that means nothing for tonight's match. If we lose tonight, relegation is more or less a certainty and you will probably find Rupe and myself with a gun against each others head.

For some reason, over the years it has not mattered what sort of record the away team has. They still are expected to come away with the full 3 points. But tonight a win is a must and I think we will get it.

The Cumbrians are assured of safety, even though they have someone with a dodgy name like Roddy as manager. Knighton has now left the club, and so things are looking up for the chaps up the M6. But........ the Shaymen are on the hunt for 3 points, especially after last Saturdays disaster at Luton and they wont stop at anything to get the points.

Matty Clarke is injured and so super-human Steve Swales will replace him. He might not be a brilliant footballer, but he will run round like a headless chicken for all the match. Although I am not sure if that is a good thing or not.

Apart from that change, the team should be the same as from last Saturday, which means the impressive 3-some partnership up front continues. Fitz, Midgley and Farrell have worked well together, especially in the home victories over Kidderminster and Cheltenham, and if they are as effective tonight then it should be the 3 points to us.

A win tonight will give us renewed hope, leaving us 6 points behind the Pirates of Bristol. They will still have 2 games in hand but the pressure will surely be growing on them and temperatures at the bottom of the 3rd will be rising quicker than a rat up a drain pipe.

Come on Shaymen.

Halifax Probable: Richardson, Jules, Woodward, Mitchell, Swales, Bushell, Redfearn, Harsley, Fitzpatrick, Midgley, Farrell

Carlisle Probable: Keen, Murphy, Andrews, Rogers, Birch, Jack, Hopper, McDonagh,Allan, Foran, Stevens