Southend United face a quick return to action against Carlisle United this Saturday. The Blues travel north for a 5:30pm kick-off at Brunton Park just days after a dramatic 2-2 draw between the teams on Thursday.
Kevin Maher's side currently sit fifth in the National League with 14 points from seven games. Their recent form reads two wins, two draws and one defeat from the last five outings. The midweek draw at Carlisle saw late goals from Luke Chambers-Parillon and Kieran McAdam salvage a point after Greg Kelly's early opener and last-gasp equaliser.
Head-to-head history
Southend's overall record against Carlisle shows 11 wins, 11 draws and 17 defeats. Their last victory at Brunton Park came back in 2008. The Blues have not won any of the last four encounters, a run that includes two league defeats and two draws. The most recent meetings before this week were in the National League last season, with Carlisle winning 2-1 at Roots Hall in November before the 2-2 draw in March.
Carlisle's home threat
Carlisle United present a significant challenge at home this season. They are 14th in the table with eight points but have scored 10 goals in their three home games, the highest tally in the division. Harvey Bunker leads their scoring with three goals, though they are yet to keep a clean sheet this campaign. Their recent form is mixed with two wins, two draws and two losses from their last six matches.
The man in the middle
Steven Copeland will referee the match. He has shown four yellow cards and no reds in his two games this season. Last term he issued 78 yellows and two reds across 23 matches. Copeland last took charge of a Southend game in January 2025, overseeing a 1-0 FA Trophy win against Southport at Roots Hall.
Southend will look to build on their positive start to the season and close the three-point gap to leaders Boreham Wood. The Blues' next home game is against Dagenham & Redbridge on September 26th.
