Wolves vs Carlisle Prediction – The champions have crossed the hundred point barrier, but are there more points ahead.

Following several seasons of poor luck and poorer results, Wolves are finally beginning to enjoy themselves. As the season has progressed, they have moved from favourites, to firm favourites, to champions, right up to the breakers of the hundred point barrier. But Brentford have matched them all the way. Now, finally able to enjoy the top spot, they welcome a Carlisle team whose fortunes could be considered almost the exact opposite. Carlisle will be desperate for the points and will still need results on the final day to go their way if they are to escape. The formations of the players might be nominally similar, but Wolves’ attacking 4-2-3-1 has brought them success whereas the same cannot be said for Carlisle’s 4-3-3, who might be tempted to drop their deepest midfielder further back in order to protect their goal difference and kill the match.

Form

Wolves are unbeaten in nine and have seven wins in that period. With this kind of form, it is easy enough to see why they have been so successful in the league. Draws against Stevenage and Coventry, however, demonstrate that the side are not immune to complacency and this might be even more true since achieving each of their aims for the season. Whilst the players will be content with their performances this season, it could be that they might struggle to find the motivation after a long and hard fought season of excellent results.

Carlisle are entering the match on the back of two defeats and a draw. With only a single win in their last ten (a surprise result against seventh placed Swindon), they have been desperate for any kind of points for a long while now. With so few games left and the side in need of the three points which separate them from those above, Carlisle will conceivably be doing everything in their power to scrape as many points as possible. Victory here might prove futile, as the side will still need other results to go their way.

Team News

Wolves will have had an additional period of rest thanks to the lack of a game during the week. Having already achieved their targets this season, and with next year’s campaign to look forward to, the manager might be tempted to rotate. Getting a good idea of who he can trust next season will be useful as will the ability to give game time to some youngsters. Predicting the Wolves line up may be difficult, but their superior squad is such that they should have enough to present a challenge whomever they field.

Going into the final game, Carlisle have no fresh injury concerns. What they do lack, however, is quality. With one last, final push needed (and even that might not be enough), 20 year old midfielder Liam Noble will look to emerge as a bright spark in an otherwise poor season for the club, having come the closest to a goal after the mid-week match against Crawley. Byrne and Dempsey failed to make an impact from the bench in recent weeks, so it is likely to be the same starting line up to carry the team into the final match of the season.

Wolves

P45 W30 D10 L05

WWWWD

Predicted Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Ikeme; Doherty, Stearman, Batth, Golbourne; McDonald, Evans; Henry, Edwards, Jacobs; McAlinden

Carlisle

P44 W11 D11 L22

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Predicted Line-Up (4-3-3): Pickford; Symington, O’Hanlon, Brown, Chantler; Berrett, Potts, Noble; Amoo, Madine, Novo

Prediction: Wolves 1 - 2 Carlisle

Carlisle to edge a victory away at the champions out of sheer desperation, though this might not suffice.