Carlisle United welcome Hartlepool United at Brunton Park, Carlisle, Cumbria on Monday, Dec 28 at 4:00 PM in a National League fixture that's tighter on paper than the positions suggest — just 2 points split them in the table.

Carlisle United come into this fixture in mixed form (1W 1D 1L). Hartlepool United, meanwhile, arrive in mixed form (2W 0D 1L) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks. Carlisle United won their last outing, while Hartlepool United suffered defeat — home advantage backed by momentum.

History strongly favours Carlisle United here — they've won 5 of 10 previous meetings against Hartlepool United, with 3 draws. Their last encounter ended in Carlisle United won 1–3. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.2 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Carlisle United a slight edge, but Hartlepool United are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.