Match Report
The table gap was wide: 67 points between Portsmouth (1st, 97 pts) and Carlisle United (24th, 30 pts). The last five rounds placed Carlisle United 20th in the league for form — higher than their 24th in the standings. Per game in the league, Carlisle United were scoring 0.89 and conceding 1.76, Portsmouth 1.7 and 0.89, against a competition average of 1.29 goals per team per game.
Carlisle United arrived off five straight defeats, having scored in 6 consecutive games. The last-five ledger: Carlisle United 0/15, Portsmouth 10/15.
Across 10 recorded meetings, Carlisle United have 1 win to Portsmouth's 5, with 4 draws, at 3 goals per meeting. History gives the home side just 40% of the wins in this matchup. History points to goals: 60% of the meetings had three or more, and both sides scored in 60%.
Brunton Park in Carlisle, capacity 18,202, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: it was 0-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 0-1.