Tough Trip To Carlisle Awaits

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3rd March 2006

Lincoln City FC face a tough trip to Carlisle United on Saturday, made worse by the adverse weather conditions affecting the north of Britain.

Earlier this week, there was serious doubt about whether this fixture could go ahead, as forecasts for temperatures of -10°C combined with snow were issued by the Met Office.

The early forecasts have allowed Carlisle's ground staff to make preparations and Carlisle believe that the game will go ahead. This is despite Carlisle's reserve match being postponed two days ago.

Carlisle's assistant operations manager Emma Story said: "It's too early to say at this stage but we'll be doing everything we can to get the game on."

Carlisle will be particular keen to play this game, as it is a guaranteed crowd puller. Both sides are aiming for promotion, and victory would enhance their automatic promotion challenge.

Lincoln moved into seventh position last Saturday, via a 2-1 victory over Notts County. However, a 2-1 victory at Barnet meant that leaders Carlisle remained ten points ahead of The Imps.

This win for Carlisle was their third in succession, thereby taking their unbeaten run to six league and cup games. An unbeaten run during February had placed Carlisle manager Paul Simpson into the running for February's League Two Manager of the Month. However, they drew one game more than unbeaten Lincoln, hence Imps' boss Keith Alexander claimed the prize.

Last season, Carlisle returned to the Football League after one season in the Conference. However, they required the play-offs to win promotion, so therefore they have been a surprise promotion contenders this season, especially considering that last season's Conference winners Barnet are fighting relegation.

Two of the reasons why Carlisle are currently top is their strike pairing of Michael Bridges and Karl Hawley, who have scored 31 league and cups between them this season.

Bridges is a former Leeds United player, who joined Leeds for £5million from Sunderland. Injury curtailed his Premiership career and he found himself cast into the lower leagues. Since signing for Carlisle - initially on loan and later on a free transfer - he has scored nine goals in sixteen appearances. This run of good form has now alerted his former Leeds United manager David O'Leary, whose Aston Villa side have been linked with a move for Bridges.

For only the combination of Bridges and Hawley, this match will be a tough test of Lincoln City's promotion credentials. Likewise, Simpson believes that his side also face their toughest game of the season against Lincoln on Saturday.

Speaking, Simpson said: They are a big, physical, strong side who are very hard to play against.....if the opportunity comes, we can then play the kind of football that will get us the result we want."

Carlisle have several injury doubts for the match, including Hawley, who suffered a bang to the head at Barnet. His fellow striker Derek Holmes sustained a hip injury in the same match and is struggling to be fit, as is Kevin Gray because of an ankle injury.

There is mixed team news for Lincoln, whose long-term injury victims Danny Bacon and Paul Morgan are still absent. The good news is that Paul Mayo has trained all week and is close to full fitness. The bad news is that Jeff Hughes suffered a calf strain during his match for Northern Ireland's Under-21 side on Tuesday. This could mean that Mayo will be recalled to the side in place of Hughes.

These two clubs first met in December 1928 when Lincoln won 1-0 at Carlisle in a FA Cup encounter. For a full historic results round-up of all the major fixtures between these two clubs, please click here.

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