York City v Carlisle United Preview

On Tuesday evening, Mark Hughes takes his Carlisle United side to the York Community Stadium to take on fellow promotion chasers York City.

Stuart Maynard’s side will want to lay down a marker at home against the Cumbrians in a match between the two favourites for the National League title before the season began.

How Have Both Teams Been Performing?

York City are on 15 points from their first 8 games and are sat in 8th place in the National League. Last time out York lost 1-0 at home to struggling Solihull Moors.

Carlisle United are on 23 points from their first 10 games and are sat in 2nd place in the National League. Mark Hughes’ side have won their last four games. Last time out the Cumbrians won 2-1 away to Altrincham.

Players To Watch

Alex Hunt in midfield will be a constant threat throughout, he has the ability to win balls back, find the key pass, has an eye for goal and has scored three absolute screamers in the last couple of weeks. The Carlisle defence will be trying to stop any shots from range from this man. Hunt has three goals in six games so far this season.

Ollie Pearce by his standards has had a slow start to the season with only the three goals in seven games for York so far but his contribution to the team whether it’s hold up or link up play is second to none in this league. Carlisle’s defence will have to keep close tabs on Pearce that’s for sure.

Alex Newby in attack will be a real attacking spark for Stuart Maynard’s side. Newby has been one of the best players in the National League for the last couple of years playing for Altrincham and now his goal contributions are starting to appear for York after a slow start. Newby has two goals to his name so far this season.

Josh Stones probably won’t start the game because Ollie Pearce is the first choice striker but as an option off the bench there aren’t many better at this level. He knows where the back of the net is and he makes intelligent runs that will stretch defenders late in games. Stones has one goal to his name so far this season and that was off the bench at Truro.

Other players to watch are the full backs Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Joe Felix. Both players will cause an attacking threat down their respective sides when going forward.

Why I Am Changing Up The Players To Watch

In match previews I’m aware I’ve picked nearly every Carlisle United player as a player to watch already so from now on I’m going to pick four opposition players instead of two so you aren’t seeing me pick Regan Linney to watch every week and me repeating myself.

My Predicted Carlisle United Starting Eleven

Breeze, Davies, Thomas, Mugabi, Murray, Ellis, Macadam, Gilliead, Wearne, Linney, Armstrong.

I think Hughes will maybe pack the midfield in a game that the home side will see a lot of the ball. I think we may go for narrow approach in midfield and aim to use Linney’s pace to create chances in transition.

The pace of Luamba or Ajiboye could be used later in the game from the bench if the York defence are tiring and the blues need a goal.

My Score Prediction

York City 2-2 Carlisle United

This is a real tester for the blues, York have an array of attacking talent and were many people’s picks to win the league this year and I think this will be Carlisle’s toughest test so far this season.

The midfield could be overran as well depending on who’s selected in there by Mark Hughes but after the way we dug out the win against Altrincham it showed many people that we are capable of doing the dirty work and grinding results out this season.

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