Match Preview: Bristol Rovers v Carlisle United (Saturday, 3pm)

Carlisle United make the journey to the Memorial Stadium to play Bristol Rovers on Saturday looking to pick up points to end their seven-game losing streak.

Carlisle’s struggles have left them with no points from their last six League One matches, while their opponents have earned nine from a possible 18.

Carlisle are bottom of the table after 32 games, of which they have won four and drawn eight, earning 20 points.

Rovers are 11 places ahead of United in 13th, with 12 wins and seven draws putting them on 43 points.

With 26 goals in 32 games so far this season, the away team are the league’s third-lowest scorers with 0.8 goals per game. And they are conceding more than average, letting in 55 goals at a rate of 1.7 per game.

The Gas, meanwhile, are above average scorers, with 1.4 goals per game, compared to a league average of 1.3. They have conceded 1.5 goals per game.

In Chris Martin, the hosts have one of the league’s sharpest shooters so far this season. He has notched 13 goals in 23 appearances, to sit seventh in the scoring charts.

His goal rate of one every 124 minutes is much quicker than that of Jordan Gibson, Carlisle’s top scorer with a goal every 315 minutes, and a total of seven goals in 31 games.

In the last three years, Rovers and Carlisle have played each other on three occasions. Rovers won two of them and Carlisle one.

Their last meeting was on November 11, when Rovers won 1-0 away.

Rovers’ last match was on February 17, a 3-1 loss against Northampton Town, with Martin getting the goal for the Gas.

Carlisle lost 4-0 against Cambridge United last time out, also on February 17.

Bristol Rovers v Carlisle United
League One | Memorial Stadium
Saturday, 24 February 2024 @ 3.00pm

Find the best UK betting sites at betting.bet

For exclusive stories and all the detailed EFL news you need, subscribe to The Football League Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.