Match preview: Carlisle United v Fleetwood Town

5 August 2023

Fleetwood Town are set to face Carlisle United on Saturday 5 August in a Sky Bet League One opener, and we have all you need to know ahead of the 3pm kick-off in our match preview.

Fixture: Carlisle United vs Fleetwood Town

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Saturday 5 August 2023

Kick-off: 15:00

Venue: Brunton Park, Warwick Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1LL

FLEETWOOD TOWN

Town are all set to face Carlisle at Brunton Park at the weekend in what will be a highly anticipated encounter, as it will be the first-ever league meeting between the two sides. Even though a first meeting in League One is coming on Saturday, the sides have met plenty of times in the cup competitions in recent years.

Admitting that his men have done what he and his coaches have asked in preparation for the new campaign, head coach Scott Brown is looking forward to the season ahead. He’s fully aware is also fully aware that the hosts will not be push-overs and will want to prove straight away that they deserve the right to be in this division following their promotion last Summer.

Brown is determined to start better than they started the last - a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Port Vale - a familiar face in Fleetwood’s side that day was Joe Garner, who now represents Carlisle, alongside Ryan Edmondson and Dan Butterworth who were both loanees on the Fylde coast.

With new transfers well embedded and preparations complete, the Cods are ready for the new campaign in what is Town’s historic ninth consecutive season in League One – a record in the league. The gaffer has praised his Fleetwood side’s application and performances in pre-season as it breeds confidence for Town to take into the opener.

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CARLISLE UNITED

Carlisle are the new boys of League One in what is a welcome return to the division for the fans and everyone surrounding the club after spending nine years away in the fourth tier of English football.

With Paul Simpson at the helm, someone who has spent both playing and coaching time at the club and was raised a stone-throw away from Brunton Park, the Cumbrians would wish for nothing more than to give their fans the best welcome back present in the form of three points at home on the opening day of the season.

The Cumbrians finished in fifth place in last year’s League Two which meant they had a shot at gaining promotion - they overcame Bradford City 3-2 on aggregate over two legs in what was an entertaining semi-final affair, to then come out victorious in the Play-Off final at Wembley beating Stockport County 5-4 on penalties after 120 minutes of Football.

With experience at League One level in Paul Huntington, Joe Garner, and new-recruit Sam Lavelle, alongside fans’ favourite and local boy Owen Moxon pulling the strings in the midfield, Simpson believes he has a recipe to achieve his aims in a bid to cement the Cumbrians status as a Sky Bet League One side after nearly a decade away.

In addition to the old faces at the club, new ammunition has joined in the likes of Sean Maguire, Dylan McGeough, semi-final play-off hero Ben Barclay on a permanent signing, and youngster Fin Back has returned for a second spell on loan from Nottingham Forest.

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TICKET NEWS

Scott Brown's side will make the short trip up north to Carlisle on the opening day of the 2023/24 season, and you can be backing the lads from the stands by purchasing on the gate if you haven't got your seat sorted already!

The Cod Army have been allocated seats in the Pioneer Food Stand, with prices as follows:

PAY-ON-THE-GATE TICKET PRICES:

Adults: £26

Seniors (65+): £23

Young adults (18-22): £20

Juniors (14-17): £13

Juniors (11-13)*: £13

Family Junior (11-17)**: £11

Under-11s*: £10

Under-7s*: £6

Wheelchair: £23 with Carer free of charge

* For those who purchase a Juniors ticket (Under-14) and those Under-11s and Under-7s MUST be accompanied by an Adult, a Senior or a young person who is over the age of 18.

** For those purchasing a Family Junior ticket, you can purchase a maximum of 2 Family Junior tickets for every adult ticket or a maximum of 2 Family Junior tickets for every senior ticket purchased. Any Junior tickets purchased on top of this or sold individually should be charged as a full-price Junior (Under-14s) or Junior as an Under-18s ticket.

Match Reports

Report: Town share the spoils with Carlisle in the season opener

5 August 2023

Fleetwood Town ended up sharing the spoils with Carlisle United on the opening day of the season as the game finished 1-1 at Brunton Park on Saturday afternoon.

The tight affair saw Carlisle take the lead through Owen Moxon but in the added time of the first half, Brendan Wiredu produced a thunderstrike, therefore cancelling the Cumbrians’ advantage and earning a first point on the road this campaign.

In a closely contested opening ten minutes with both sides trying to get those vital first passes to settle the nerves on the first day of the season, Carlisle started the brighter as Jordan Gibson’s strike from 20 yards was down the throat of Jay Lynch.

Not long after, Town managed to break forward in Danny Mayor who drove deep into the hosts’ half and set up Promise Omochere, but his effort was smothered by Tomas Holy – moments after Fleetwood regained possession and countered again, this time Josh Vela’s header didn’t trouble Holy.

Just before the half an hour mark, Moxon drifted a free-kick to Paul Huntington at the back-post but a combination of Wiredu and Omochere forced the effort off the line out for a corner which came to nothing.

On the 35-minute mark, Carlisle took the lead through Moxon in spectacular fashion, a free-kick from 25 yards which Lynch couldn’t get close to, the Cumbrians carried a bit of momentum going into the final few moments of the first half as Gibson again struck from an angle but Lynch held it well.

Right before the halfway stage Town pressed and tested the hosts’ defence with a number of players’ efforts but out of nowhere Wiredu struck the bouncing ball right into the far corner leaving Holy no-chance as Town made it all square at the break.

Soon as the second half got underway, the Fin Back pulled the ball to the six-yard box as Gibson couldn’t direct it goal-bound and the hosts’ attacks early in the second half and the hosts’ attacks that followed fizzled out.

Shaun Rooney down the right was played in-behind as Mayor managed to evade a few tackles from blue shirts but Holy was equal to it to smother it – Town came again though as Vela’s ball across the box found Omochere but his effort was dragged wide.

On the hour mark, Carlisle got behind Town’s back-line as Back’s drifted ball was testing for Lynch as it could have gone anywhere but Lynch parried it over the bar and the resulting attack resulted to nothing.

Vela found space in the middle to carry the ball forward, he found Rooney down the right whose cross into the box found Jack Marriott but he couldn’t connect with the ball and Holy got down with ease.

With 11 minutes of injury time, both sides pushed the other all the way back but no difference to the scoreline could be made – Joe Garner came the closest as a fantastic last-second reaction save by Lynch put an end to any further attacks.

Town XI: Lynch (GK), Johnston, Wiredu (Rooney 48’), Robertson, Vela, Mayor, Graydon (Asamoah 86’), Omochere (Marriott 62’), Nsiala, Earl, Patterson (Hayes 86’).

Subs not used: McMullan (GK), Quitirna.

United XI: Holy (GK), Back, Armer, Moxon (Charters 78’), Lavelle, Huntington, Gibson (McGeouch 78’), Guy, McCalmont (Maguire 68’), Mellish, Plange (Garner 67’).

Subs not used: Breeze (GK), Harris, Barclay.

Match Reports

Ticket News

Tickets for our clash against Carlisle go off sale at 4:30pm

4 August 2023

Supporters have until 4:30pm today to sort their tickets for our trip to face Carlisle United on the opening day of the season, with a price increase in place for on-the-gate purchases.

Scott Brown's side will make the short trip up north to Carlisle on the opening day of the 2023/24 season, and you can be backing the lads from the stands by purchasing your match tickets in-store and online today!

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE

The Cod Army have been allocated seats in the Pioneer Food Stand, with prices as follows:

TICKET PRICES (PAY-ON-THE-GATE PRICES):

Adults: £23 (£26)

Seniors (65+): £20 (£23)

Young adults (18-22): £17 (£20)

Juniors (14-17): £12 (£13)

Juniors (11-13)*: £12 (£13)

Family Junior (11-17)**: £10 (£11)

Under-11s*: £9 (£10)

Under-7s*: £5 (£6)

Wheelchair: £20 with Carer free of charge (£23)

* For those who purchase a Juniors ticket (Under-14) and those Under-11s and Under-7s MUST be accompanied by an Adult, a Senior or a young person who is over the age of 18.

COACH TRAVEL IS ALSO ON SALE!

Supporters can also purchase coach travel from the club's official ticketing website. The coaches will be departing from Hatfield Avenue on Saturday 5 August 2023 at 10am, with this costing £10 for all those with an Onward Card - meaning you will get a seat to and from Brunton Park.

You can buy your tickets online HERE, or in-store at the Ticket Office at Highbury, which will be open from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. If you have any questions please contact the ticket office on 01253 775080 (option 1).