Preview: Harrogate Town vs. Carlisle United - prediction, team news, lineups

Both teams triumphed in the FA Cup at the weekend and will hope to use the momentum gained from their respective wins back to help their league campaigns.

Match preview

Harrogate are winless in their last three league games, and have won just one of their last 12 games in the division, conceding in the 88th minute against AFC Wimbledon last time out.

However, they did beat local rivals Bradford City in the FA Cup thanks to Matty Daly's ninth-minute, calmly-placed strike to put the Sulphurites into the second round for the third consecutive season.

The cup win would have provided a bit of relief for the team sat in 21st in the league, just a point off the bottom of the table, and a win against Carlisle would take them three points clear of the drop zone.

They have picked up four clean sheets this season but only Crawley Town, Hartlepool United and Colchester United have conceded more than them, and conceding a lot of goals has been a theme throughout their short stay in the Football League so far.

Carlisle have enjoyed a better time of things than their next opponents, sitting in seventh place with seven wins and just three defeats from their 16 games.

They won their last away game 2-0 at Tranmere Rovers courtesy of Kristian Dennis's double, before beating the same opposition 2-1 at home a week later in the FA Cup after strikes from Jordan Gibson and Jayden Harris either side of half time.

The two consecutive victories against Tranmere ended a three-game losing run in all competitions for Paul Simpson's men.

Goals have not been hard to come by for the Cumbrians, with only Northampton Town, Barrow, Mansfield Town and table-topping Leyton Orient scoring more goals in the division and, at the other end, they have picked up six clean sheets.

Victory on Tuesday night would see them climb to fifth in the table, two points outside of the automatic promotion places.

Harrogate Town League Two form:

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L

W

D

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L

Harrogate Town form (all competitions):

W

W

D

L

L

W

Carlisle United League Two form:

D

W

W

L

L

W

Carlisle United form (all competitions):

W

L

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L

W

W

Team News

Harrogate could be unchanged from their cup win at Bradford after Joe Mattock returned and provided a much-needed boost in defence.

George Thomson and summer signing Max Wright are still missing with injury - the latter will be out for a few weeks after another operation.

For Carlisle, they should have striker Dennis back in contention after he missed the cup game as a precaution after feeling some tightness in the league game the week before.

Jack Stretton also missed the cup game through injury, but his is likely to keep him out of this game, too, meaning Tobi Sho-Silva should keep his place up front.

Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:

Jameson; Ramsay, Burrell, Mattock, Headley; Pattison, Falkingham; Grant, Daly, Muldoon; Armstrong

Carlisle United possible starting lineup:

Holy; Ellis, Feeney, Huntington, Mellish, Armer; Guy, Moxon, Charters; Dennis, Sho-Silva

We say: Harrogate Town 1-2 Carlisle United

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