All the info on our previous meetings.

Southampton and Carlisle virtually couldnt be farther apart in distance, so it isnt perhaps strange that we have rarely met them over the years, 13 times to be exact and of those, 5 have been cup games, four in the league cup and of course that day at Wembley back in March.

Given that Saints have had a more illustrious history than our Cumbrian counterparts, apart from the 74/75 season which they spent in the top flight replacing us, it may surprise Saints supporters that honours are exactly even with each side winning five and three draws.

Last season doesnt need too much reminding, Saints had the better of it, although it very nearly followed the usual pattern, an injury time equaliser from Jaidi saving the day up at Brunton Park with Saints winning both at Wembley and SMS.

Pror to last season it had been two and a half decades since we had last met, in 83/84 ina two legged affair we were beaten 2-0 at carlisle and then beat them 3-0 at home to progress although we needed extra time to do so with Martin Foyle being the two goal hero.

We met them for two seasons after their relegation from the top flight and  in 75/76 our first meeting saw us lose 1-0 away from home and when they arrived at the Dell they eeked out a 1-1 draw, the fifth game of a six game winless run that would ulltimately cost us promotion, although that day we had other things on our mind, namely an FA Cup semi two weeks later, the game was saved by an 89th minute David Peach equaliser, however it did have a significant moment as earlier Mick Channon had missed his second penalty of the season, for that aforementioned semi there would be a new man taking the spot kicks as we all know.

Our next meeting with them came in the opening game of the 76/77 season, the first compeetitive game after Wembley and the FA Cup bubble had truly burst by 4.45pm, firstly the crowd of 18,695 was a disapointment, Saints were promotion favourites and this was not only less than the average of the previous season, but only 300 more than had watched the corresponding fixture a little over four months earlier,

Ten of the starting Wembley line up where on duty, the only change being Malcolm Waldron in for Mel Blyth, Peter Osgood scored but we were slack and let them sscore twice to condemn us to defeat, to perhaps underline that the team that won us the cup would not be the one that would get us promoted, of the 12 that were selected for Wembley, 7 would have played their last game for the club long before the end of this season.

However the away fixture in January would be something of a triumph with Saints romping home 6-0, the old guard was on its way out although the goals would mainly come from Wembley winners, Peach, Channon, Osgood Holmes (2) would be complimented by a Ted MacDougall strike.

In 66/67 it was another league cup meeting 3-3 at the Dell saw Saints rally from 3-1 down with goals from Chivers, Melia & Sydenham, Saints in their first ever season in the top flight were the victims of a giant killing when they went down 2-1 at Brunton Park despite leading through Chivers, the games hero was Chris Balderstone who notched both including the extra time winner, Balderstone was one of the last of a dying breed, a man who played professional football in the winter and County Cricket in the summer, playing in two tests as well as Umpiring in one day internationals.

Our first meeting with Carlisle was in 65/66 season as we powered to promotion, our first home game in the season resulted in a 1-0 win with George O'Brien scoring however a week later we went down by the same score in Carlisle.          

Photo: Action Images

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