Match Preview: Carlisle United (A)

The National League South Champions have travelled the length of the country to face Rob Elliot’s side, as a new season kicks-off once again.

For the Reds, it’s finally time for them to enjoy the fruits of their labour following their promotion into the fifth tier as National League South champions.

104 days after lifting the title aloft at Woodside, Adam Hinshelwood’s team are back in competitive action with preparation for the trip to Cumbria going smoothly.

An unbeaten pre-season programme included resounding victories over Horsham and Brighton & Hove Albion U21s at Woodside, while also securing draws away to Frome Town and Enfield Town.

The new look squad will be looking to hit the ground early on, with 12 incomings during the summer. Forest Green Rovers loanee Jose Marquez was the latest player to agree terms with the Club yesterday evening, joining goalkeeper Harrison Foulkes, defenders Cory Adjetey-Brew and Jayden Moore, a number of midfield acquisitions including the returning Jack Wadham & Ricky Aguiar and fellow forwards Ramell Carter, Dom Hutchinson and Ashley Nathaniel-George in signing for the Rebels.

Standing in their way from opening day elation is a Carlisle side hotly-tipped to earn promotion as league Champions come April next year and a home crowd of roughly 8,000 spectators doing everything they can to prevent Worthing from announcing themselves in style.

Team News

Noor Husin, Tyrique Clarke and Matt Burgess are confirmed absentees for the opening day of the season, with the trio still recovering from their respective injuries.

Queens Park Rangers loanee Harvey Boddy has recovered from a concussion he sustained last summer in an earlier pre-season friendly and is available for selection at Brunton Park.

The Opposition

Heading into their third successive campaign in Non-League, Cumbrian’s biggest club will be hoping it’s a case of third time’s the charm – with the charm in this case being promotion back into the EFL.

New beginnings are also in place at Brunton Park, with Rob Elliot replacing Mark Hughes over the summer on a rolling contract.

Amidst the unprecedented title battle between York City and Rochdale, Carlisle quietly went about their business – amassing 95 points after 46 games. That tally would’ve been enough to finish top of the table in three of the last nine seasons – with that century of points landmark proving elusive.

Alongside their strong accumulation of points, they also ended the campaign with the fourth best attack and defence in the division.

Despite the encouraging signs of last season’s showing, Carlisle remain far removed from the dizzy heights of League One as recently as 2024.

Consecutive demotions has seen them rapidly fall down the pyramid and have gone from facing Portsmouth, Derby County and Bolton Wanderers in the league to a Worthing side that were competing in Step 4 just over a decade ago.

The Gaffer

Come 2:58pm tomorrow, Rob Elliot will be greeting Adam Hinshelwood and his coaching staff to Brunton Park.

It will be the former Newcastle United goalkeeper’s first competitive home match in charge of the Blues following his appointment in the summer – and he’ll be keen to make a striking first impression in front of an expectant crowd.

The Irishman succeeded Manchester United hero Mark Hughes in the dugout over the summer following another spell at Gateshead of outperforming expectations.

When Elliot returned to the Heed in the New Year, the club seemed destined for relegation. Galvanising and reinvigorating the spirit and mentality of the squad, Elliot’s arrival coincided with a stark upturn of form which helped them avoid the drop with games to spare.

Added to his play-off finish and FA Trophy accolade  he achieved during his first spell – it is understandable why Gateshead were reluctant to part ways with the 40-year-old.

He enjoyed a playing career spanning almost two decades as a goalkeeper, beginning at Charlton Athletic before spending nine years on the books at Newcastle United.

One to Watch

29-year-old Regan Linney is in the conversation for the most productive forward in the division, following multiple years of performing at a top standard.

37 goals across two seasons at Altrincham was enough to convince Carlisle to secure his services, with the forward making the switch to Brunton Park last summer.

Linney has been a prolific force in every team he has represented. Starting out at Bamber Bridge as a teenager, a move to FC United of Manchester exploded the profile of the direct and explosive threat.

Four years at the yielded 40 goals, with the stature of the team allowing Linney to advertise his talents to the wider footballing community and earning a move into the National League with Altrincham.

Indispensable to Elliot, it came as no surpirse that Linney clinched the title of Carlisle United Top Scorer for his 19 strikes

A true Non-League gem, yet another campaign of hitting double figures for goals will undoubtedly be a decisive factor in Carlisle’s title charge.

In forward areas, the Blues also have former Worthing forward David Ajiboye at their disposal. The 27-year-old

Pre-Season Form Guide

Pre-Season Form: WWDWD

Frome Town 1-1 Worthing FC | Scorer: Dom Hutchinson

Worthing FC 1-0 Queens Park Rangers U21s | Scorer: Ollie Godziemski

Enfield Town 1-1 Worthing FC | Scorers: Dom Hutchinson

Worthing FC 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion U21s | Scorers: Ramell Carter & Dom Hutchinson

Worthing FC 3-0 Horsham | Scorers: Dom Hutchinson, Ricky Aguiar, Joel Colbran

Tickets

HOW TO FOLLOW

If you can’t be at the game, you can follow the game via live updates from the club’s official X account.

You can also listen to live commentary via the club’s official commentary service.