Macclesfield vs Carlisle Predictions

Thirteen games in and Macclesfield have still not won a league match. The consequence of this was that Mark Yates was sacked as manager before their most recent match against Tranmere. Despite this, the interim managers of Danny Whitaker and Neil Howarth could not prevent Macclesfield losing their ninth game of the season, and equalling the Football League record for most games without a win, which for Macclesfield stands at 36.

They did play reasonably well in the defeat to Tranmere, losing only 1-0, with a goal by Harvey Gilmour coming in the last 15 minutes. Captain Michael Rose hit the post but, in the end, Macclesfield simply did not have enough to take away anything from the game.

However, since that humiliating 8-0 Carabao Cup loss to West Ham, there has been a noticeable improvement within the performances by Macclesfield.  They drew 1-1 at home with a Forest Green Rovers side who had been unbeaten at that point, whilst were left broken-hearted in the game against Newport. Macclesfield went 2-0 up away at a side in the automatic promotion places but were pegged back with two goals from Newport. A late penalty seemed to give Macclesfield the win but an equaliser in the 97th minute meant that the points were shared and the team were denied a first win.

The defeat at home to Notts County was Yates’ last game in charge of the team, losing 1-0 thanks to a late Jon Stead penalty. Once more, they competed well and were unlucky to lose in that match. They still remain without a win though as the teams around them move away from the relegation zone, yet their performances are at least improving.

Carlisle remain in the top half of the league but have suffered from inconsistency in recent times. Whilst they have won their last three away matches, at home four losses in a row without scoring a goal has dampened any progress John Sheridan’s men might have made.

The most damaging loss came at the weekend, in a 2-0 loss to Morecambe. Two first-half goals secured the win for the visitors, who matched Carlisle and got only their second away win of the season. In the home game prior, they had also given Grimsby their second win of the season in another abject home display. The struggle to perform against those teams in the bottom half suggests Carlisle have lost a significant amount of confidence from their home displays.

Away from home, however, the team have put in a sequence of impressive performances. They beat a strong Oldham side 3-1, inflicted a first home defeat on Bury in a 1-0 win, whilst saw off Cambridge as well. Whether it is because they are under less pressure or another reason, Carlisle seem to step it up on the road. It has meant that the club are only two points off the play-offs but they will have no chance of getting there if their home form continues.

Indeed, we think Carlisle’s terrible home form could catch up with them in this game. Having lost to Morecambe and Grimsby, Carlisle are a game that Macclesfield will be aiming to win and we think they can finally achieve thaison Saturday. Performances have picked up, whilst Carlisle will be vulnerable in terms of low confidence. However, we think backing Macclesfield Draw No Bet would be a smart option, particularly as Macclesfield still have a lot of work to do and Carlisle are strong on the road. Despite this, we think Macclesfield could nick it in a hard-fought 1-0 win to get off the mark.