Fair Play Derby (Crewe v Carlisle)

[shoddycollins]

Crewe, the only team in the division yet to pick up a red card face Carlisle who currently sit bottom (or top depending on your perspective) of the fair play table with the lowest number of bookings and only one red card for dissent of all things. With both teams currently enjoying something of a turnaround in form (3rd and 1st respectively in the last six games) and only 8 draws between them all season, while Crewe are second by home form and Carlisle second by away form this promises to be a scintillating display of fluid football and sublime technique.

So my money's on a drab and bad-tempered 0-0 draw with both sides ending with ten men and facing a disciplinary committee following a mass brawl. In fairness our FA Cup first round encounter wasn't far from that, with six yellows shown and Carlisle winning courtesy of the Crewe goalkeeper mis-kicking a clearance straight into the onrushing Jamie Devitt and into the back of his own goal in injury time. Crewe haven't scored against us in ages it seems either, so they owe us one clearly, especially as we beat them 5-0 in this fixture last season.

Good to see Paul Green has recovered from the injury he picked up at Brunton Park when he and Carlisle keeper Joe Fryer both went for a 50/50 ball and ended up both being stretchered off.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Waiting patiently for us to put an absolute stinker of a performance in and this will be as tough as it comes. It'd still be hard to predict a loss, although would be far from surprising. We're pretty formidable at home, we gave Colchester a 0-1 head start with an awful back pass and still turned it round. We're also strenghtening/adding numbers with Jamie Sterry back in and another signing due today.

It'd be hard not to get excited if we were to win this but got a bad gut feeling about it. Wouldn't be too bad as I don't see us really troubling either end of the table when it comes down to it. As long as we continue with the awesome football we've played recently and keep improving our consistency across the 90 minutes, all is good.

 

[JJ1532]

Like the Colchester game, I'd be delighted with a point. We've struggled like hell against Carlisle for a long time now, only won 4 of our last 16 games, including the last 4 without scoring. Time to right that wrong.

I'd shake hands on a 1-1 draw right now.

 

[hellogregory]

Crewe are in form, so are we, and now we’ve actually added players to our wafer thin squad. We are looking a bit more healthy. 1 or 2 more needed though

A point wouldn’t be a bad result.

Let’s see how this weather progresses, could be a P-P which would be a pisser as I’m looking forward to going to this

 

[Carver]

I'd take a point here.

Does Shaun Miller still play for Crewe?

 

[shoddycollins]

Crewe are in form, so are we, and now we’ve actually added players to our wafer thin squad. We are looking a bit more healthy. 1 or 2 more needed though

A point wouldn’t be a bad result.

Let’s see how this weather progresses, could be a P-P which would be a pisser as I’m looking forward to going to this

who are you and what have you done with HG?

 

[hellogregory]

who are you and what have you done with HG?

I am

A man

Who has recently bought a house in the local area

and I'm having a house-warming party...to which I'll be inviting a lot of the local adults... Hence the crisps.

 

[Carver]

Ha!

Some party that'll be.

What's to drink? Ribena?

 

[hellogregory]

Ha!

Some party that'll be.

What's to drink? Ribena?

Some... beefeater gin


And extra strong mints, for those who are drink driving

 

[Carver]

Wow you are right Shoddy!

This really isn't HG.

 

[TimeyWimey]

I'd take a point here.

Does Shaun Miller still play for Crewe?

Warms the bench. Barely started a game in the last couple of months and doesn't really get a look in off the bench these days either.

Weather could well kill this one off. Our pitch under the main stand is notoriously shite when it comes to the cold. Covers (or layer of snow? I know we've got it in Manchester) should see it right but that'd require the club to be proactive. Ho ho ho.

 

[Crewelad87]

I have a feeling the weather might win here, which would be a shame. As both teams are in terrific form and I'd expect there would be a decent contingent from Cumbria travelling down.

If we do get the go ahead I'd certainly take a draw and keep the unbeaten run going. Carlisle have made a few signings to strengthen, Cullen I particularly rate. But we've also brought in Sterry and are expected to make another signing today.

Crewe 1-1 Carlisle ( Porter, Hope) 4,086 (698 Cumbrians)

 

[hellogregory]

When do you think they’ll make the decision? Early Saturday morning or are we likely to hear at 2pm while we’re all in the crewe pub.

 

[TimeyWimey]

When do you think they’ll make the decision? Early Saturday morning or are we likely to hear at 2pm while we’re all in the crewe pub.

2:50pm on Saturday.

Nah, we're generally ok with getting a timely decision, although I remember Kevin Keegan going apeshit when we called it off at 2:30pm when Man City came in our Championship days. That was funny.

Won't be before Saturday morning whatever the weather.

 

[hellogregory]

The only positive about this match being off is that it was a tough game against an in form team and the postponement is going to give our new players a chance to bed in before this tough fixture comes round. And maybe by the time it’s rearranged crewe’s form could have dipped.

Still doesn’t refund me my wasted return train ticket though

 

[JJ1532]

I love this time of the year, because we all turn into weather and football pitch condition experts. Let me offer my years of wisdom. The weather is dipping to -4 at some points in the next few nights, but rising above freezing during the day. The covers should keep the pitch playable all being well. Looking at the weather forecast, I'd be optimistic the game will go ahead. Unless anyone based in Crewe knows anything different?

 

[hellogregory]

10 years ago, but I’d assume there are still the same problems with the large stand shading the pitch.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/carlisle-fans-left-out-cold-1466898.amp

Unless your covers are really good I can’t see the frost clearing under shade with temperatures only rising to 2 or 3 degrees by midday Saturday.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

I'm missing this one sadly but I guarantee it's going the same way as the last three games against Carlisle did.

Absolutely turgid, shite affairs with us making one big cock up and Carlisle punishing us for it 1-0. At least we're not starting Raynes this time...

 

[shoddycollins]

bump

I've got a bad feeling about this match. A win would really set thing up nicely for us to also beat free-falling MK Dons on Saturday and make our run in look very comfortable indeed, therefore we will lose this and also lose against MK Dons.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Good to have this match come quickly now after yesterday. Need to get the horrors of yesterday out of the system.

Personally can’t see how Garratt can start after such a bad day but can see Artell allowing him to redeem himself. Other than that, shouldn’t be any changes. On another day, or if it was at home, we’d have whalloped Macc. Saying that, I’m intrigued at what impact Ng would have playing further forward.

Hopefully back to business with the Gresty Road factor.

 

[JJ1532]

I'd start Garratt because whilst he had a shocker yesterday and has been making a few errors recently(the Newport 2nd anyone?), Richards isn't any better.

Ng should be higher up the pitch, but the management still seem fixated on him playing at RB and he seems intent on wanting to play at CB. God only knows why, his attacking instincts are good and he has a cannon of a shot.

I get why Artell said "It feels like a defeat" but feel that is the wrong sentiment with 3 tricky games coming up over the next 2 weeks. Don't focus on the negatives with this game so soon afterwards, just feels like a bad tactic.

I'll stand by what I said when the original fixture was supposed to take place, would happily take a point right now.

 

[cufc17]

This one available on ifollow?

 

[Crewelad87]

Nothing really changed since the original fixture was supposed to happen. Both teams in good form. I know Carlisle were expecting to bring around 1000 1st time round. I've seen 2 coaches are being put on for free for people who bought train tickets.

Crewe 1-1 Carlisle Kirk, Devitt, 3,522 (475 CUFC ???)

 

[shoddycollins]

Nothing really changed since the original fixture was supposed to happen. Both teams in good form. I know Carlisle were expecting to bring around 1000 1st time round. I've seen 2 coaches are being put on for free for people who bought train tickets.

Crewe 1-1 Carlisle Kirk, Devitt, 3,522 (475 CUFC ???)

I'd love to be wrong, but 475 sounds way too many for us for a Tuesday night

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

1-0 defeat after an absolutely diabolical game where we make one mistake and Carlisle profit from it. Absolutely nailed on.

 

[cufc17]

I'd love to be wrong, but 475 sounds way too many for us for a Tuesday night

I dunno, 350-400 wouldn't surprise me, though might be optimistic with it being rescheduled fairly sharpish.

I'd take a point, 3 would put us in a great position. Have a feeling it could be one of those games where we get a bit of a hammering..

 

[valefan16]

This one available on ifollow?

Not sure if Postponed games are even when moved to a midweek as our re-arranged fixture at Newport wasn't on.

 

[shoddycollins]

1-0 defeat after an absolutely diabolical game where we make one mistake and Carlisle profit from it. Absolutely nailed on.

didn't we already do that in the FA Cup?

 

[shoddycollins]

Not sure if Postponed games are even when moved to a midweek as our re-arranged fixture at Newport wasn't on.

The ifollow website really is atrocious. I've spent about five minutes on it following links that just go around in a circle and I'm still none the wiser whether it's available as a live game. One page purports to list it as £10 to watch, but leads nowhere.

 

[Carver]

We really need something from this game and a better performance than the last match.

An away point would not be so bad.