Carlisle Utd v Port Vale – can in-form and table topping Valiants make it a good Friday?

The Vale view

Form

Excellent. Vale sit on top of the League Two form table after five wins from six matches. That those games include clashes against promotion rivals Bradford and Walsall make their feat even more notable.

Trivia: Vale have lost just twice in the League this year.

Fitness

The likes of Ben Heneghan, Kyle John and James Plant all remain sidelined for the remainder of the season. However, there’s hope that impressive wingback Jaheim Headley could feature at some point after he returned to training.

Trivia: Vale have used 33 players in the League so far.

Team selection

We don’t expect to see many changes from the side which defeated Bromley. It’s possible that Darren Moore may opt for the experience of Sam Hart over youngster Jack Shorrock, but after the teenager’s goal at the weekend he’s surely worth keeping in the side? George Byers may be kept on the bench by the form of Rhys Walters and player of the season Ryan Croasdale.

Possible line-up

Formation: 3-4-1-2

Starting eleven: Amos – Debrah, Smith, Hall – Clark, Croasdale, Walters, Shorrock – Garrity – Stockley, Tolaj

Trivia: striker Lorent Tolaj scored three games in the first-half of the season and eleven more in 2026.

Viewing guide

This Friday afternoon game will be shown on Sky Sports+ in the UK as it falls outside of the Saturday 3pm window. Vale fans in the UK will therefore be able to watch. Viewers outside of the UK can see the game on the PVTV service.

Guide to the opposition

Club factfile

• Team: Carlisle United
• League: League Two
• Manager: Mark Hughes

Trivia: Carlisle are unbeaten in their last three home games.

Man in charge

61 year-old Mark Hughes took over from Mike Williamson in February. The former Man Utd striker has been in management since 1999 with spells at Blackburn Rovers, Man City, Stoke City and Fulham to name just a few of the clubs he’s represented. His record at Carlisle stands at four wins from fourteen games in charge.

Trivia: Hughes was a member of the Wales team when Vale striker Andy Jones made a goalscoring debut for his country.

Form

It’s picked up a little with two wins in the last two games. Those results followed a run of three games without a win and lifted Carlisle to second-bottom in the table. However, they still need to make up a six point gap in their remaining four games in order to avoid relegation to the National League.

Trivia: Carlisle brought in ten new players during the January window.

Squad and injuries

Carlisle are anticipated to be without the services of Archie Davies, Dylan McGeouch, Charlie Wyke, Paul Dummett, Josh Williams and Jordan Jones – all due to injury issues.

Trivia: defender Sam Lavelle is Carlisle’s top League scorer with four goals.

One to watch

28 year-old Irish striker Georgie Kelly has scored three times in the last two games.

History

Current Connections

The Valiants may come up against former loan midfielder Callum Guy, who is still a member of the Carlisle squad. Now aged 28 the former Derby County man has been in and out of the Carlisle side this season. Guy made eleven appearances for Vale during the 2016-17 season while on loan from County. Carlisle also include former Vale loanee Callum Whelan who was on loan in Burslem in the 2019-20 season.

Former Connections

In recent years, striker Ryan Edmondson spent a spell on loan during Vale’s promotion season before joining Carlisle and enjoying a second, successive promotion to boot. Goalkeeper Tomas Holy was loaned in from Ipswich and later had a permanent spell with Carlisle. Finally, loanee Danny Butterworth, who had a spell with the Valiants last season joined Carlisle a permanent basis from Blackburn Rovers.

Featured connection

Midfielder Marc Bridge-Wilkinson had distinguished spells with both clubs. Signed by Vale from Derby County in 2000, the midfielder had already had a loan spell with Carlisle prior to that move. He made 140 appearances and scored 36 goals during a four year stay with the Valiants which included victory in the 2001 Football League Trophy final. He later had a four year spell with Carlisle but was unable to repeat the trick, finishing as a runner-up in the Football League Trophy final of 2010.

Overall record

• Port Vale wins: 16
• Port Vale losses: 16
• Draws: 13

Trivia: it’s all-square in terms of meetings between the two sides with sixteen wins apiece.

Last time we met

Vale were at the top of the table when the sides last met but in vastly different form. They were held to a goalless draw at home which extended their winless run at the time to five games.

Fixture history

The two sides first met during the 1929-30 season in a couple of encounters which Vale will have enjoyed. They won the first fixture 4-1 and followed it up with a 4-0 win at the Old Rec ground. Phil Griffiths (pictured) was the scorer of the first Vale goal against Carlisle. It took until 1964 for Vale to lose a home game against the Cumbrians.

Archive

Archive part one –

Earlier this season, we took a look back at the the first meeting between the two sides back in 1929. It was a match which saw Vale continue some blistering form on the pitch but having to confront tragedy off it. Read it here

Archive part two –

Some shots of a previous encounter at Vale Park back in 2019… it saw Ricky Miller sent-off and sub Mark Harris make his debut. It ended 1-0 to Carlisle.

Brief history

Formed in 1904, Carlisle were elected into the Football League in 1928. The club have had one season in the top-flight (1974-75). Their rise to the top-flight was called “the greatest feat in the history of the game” by no less than Bill Shankly. Sadly the club was relegated out of the League in 2004 but they managed to return at the end of the next season. The statue in the photo is of Scottish striker Hughie McIlmoyle and was commissioned to commemorate 100 years of Carlisle United at Brunton Park.

Club records

• Record sale: Matt Jansen, £1.5m to Crystal Palace
• Biggest win: 8-0 v Hartlepool Utd, 1928
• Biggest loss: 11-1 v Hull City, 1939

Your views

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