We are now just two weeks away from the new season and, having played at Morecambe and Cork, we go into a run of three games in a week before that opening league fixture against Bolton.
Sean Dyche has made numerous changes during the first two games and I'm sure we can expect several players to get more game time again today.
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| Captain Jason Shackell |
They will certainly include Scott Arfield, who signed a two year contract yesterday, and David Jones who made a debut in Burnley colours at Cork on Monday. He played for around 20 minutes at Turner's Cross but I expect him to get longer on the pitch today.
There could also be a first Burnley appearance for Ryan Noble who was also signed yesterday. Noble has been training with the Clarets this pre-season and might find himself a place in the squad this afternoon.
Neither Joseph Mills nor Marvin Bartley were on the trip to Ireland. Mills was injured in the game at Morecambe but Bartley hasn't featured yet through injury. Neither are expected to be available today and neither is Ben Mee who was forced off after 20 minutes at Cork. However, both Dean Marney and Junior Stanislas should be fit to resume after sitting out the game in Ireland.
There could also be a return for David Edgar who has been involved with Canada and is only just rejoining the squad.
Burnley will select from: Tom Heaton, Alex Cisak, Kieran Trippier, Luke O'Neill, Michael Duff, Kevin Long, David Edgar, Alex Coleman, Jason Shackell, Danny Lafferty, Ross Wallace, Dean Marney, Scott Arfield, David Jones, Brian Stock, Steven Hewitt, Junior Stanislas, Keith Treacy, Charlie Austin, Sam Vokes, Danny Ings, Ryan Noble.
Our hosts Carlisle will be opening their ground for the first time this summer having previously played five away games in pre-season against Penrith, Kendal, Workington, Garforth and Annan.
That Annan game, a 2-1 defeat, came last night and involved some of their junior players but they will be fielding their first team squad today which includes a couple of familiar names.
Central defender Danny Livesey was once a Burnley target in the days of Stan Ternent. He moved from first club Bolton to Carlisle on Christmas Eve 2004 and has since played well over 300 times for the Cumbrians. Danny Cadamarteri needs no introduction. He's been there for a year having previously been at Huddersfield and, like Burnley, they too have a Sunderland Noble. After a couple of loans they signed Liam Noble permanently last summer.
Carlisle's first team squad is currently: 1 Mark Gillespie, 3. Matt Robson, 4. Chris Chantler, 5. Danny Livesey, 7. David Amoo, 8. Liam Noble, 9. Lee Miller, 11. Danny Cadamarteri, 12. Paul Thirwell, 14. Josh Gillies, 15. Mike Edwards, 16. Brad Potts, 17. Mark Beck, 18. Josh Todd, 19. David Symington, 21. James Berrett, 22. Reece James, 23. Sean O'Hanlon, 24. Alex Salmon, 25. Brandon Gwinnutt, 26. Jack Lynch.
Our last competitive appearance at Carlisle was back in February 1998 when a late Marlon Beresford mistake gifted Allan Smart a home winner, this after Andy Cooke had equalised for the Clarets early in the second half.
We have played there since and that was in a pre-season friendly in 1999 on a day when the temperatures soared higher than those expected today.
Then, Burnley were about to start a promotion season and Carlisle were just relieved to be in the Football League after they survived the previous season only after a late goal by goalkeeper Jimmy Glass in the last game.
Stan Ternent opted for a 4-5-1 formation with Cooke the lone striker and he opened the scoring when he headed home a Paul Smith cross.
Ray Tracey equalised for the home side but Burnley were back in front by half time with a goal from new signing Alan Lee who had come on as a substitute.
That's how it stayed although we came close to adding to that tally through substitutes Andy Payton and trialist Martin Smith who had previously been with Sunderland. Smith did well and Ternent was keen to sign him. It looked likely too but a few days later he moved to Sheffield United under the management of Adrian Heath.
Ternent was pleased and was confident ahead of the new season. He said: "That's my team now so I expect them to deliver, and I'm sure they will."
A week later we went to Wycombe for the opening game of the league season with the same starting eleven that had kicked off at Carlisle.
The teams were;
Carlisle: Luke Weaver, Matthew Pitts (Billy Barr 83), Peter Clark, Stuart Whitehead, David Brightwell, Richard Prokas, Tony Hopper (Steven Skelton 78), Steve Agnew, Andy Walker, Paul Harries (Ray Tracey 34), Damon Searle (Jeff Thorpe 83).
Burnley: Paul Crichton, Dean West, Steve Davis, Mitchell Thomas, Paul Smith, Glen Little, John Mullin, Micky Mellon, Paul Cook, Graham Branch, Andy Cooke. Subs all used: Gordon Armstrong, Tom Cowan, Mark Robertson, Lenny Johnrose, Ronnie Jepson, Stephen Grant, Alan Lee, Martin Smith.
