Kristian Dennis’s latest prolific exploits have not just fired up Carlisle United’s promotion bid.
They have also put him alongside some of the Blues’ greatest names in terms of a rare goalscoring feat.
Dennis’ double against Hartlepool United on Tuesday meant he has scored in four consecutive Blues league games twice this season.
After opening the campaign with successive goals against Crawley Town, Colchester United, Stevenage and Swindon Town, he has netted in four on the spin against Crewe Alexandra, Doncaster Rovers, Newport County and Hartlepool.
It is rare for a player to score in such four-game clusters more than once in a league season.
Indeed, it has only happened six times before in Carlisle’s Football League history.
And the list of those who did it before Dennis is nothing less than illustrious…
JIMMY MCCONNELL
United’s record goalscorer could barely stop scoring in their first-ever Football League campaign of 1928/9. The great McConnell scored at least four in a row on four separate occasions in Division Three North.
McConnell started ravenously, netting against Accrington Stanley, Bradford City, Hartlepools United and Bradford again in Carlisle’s first four league games. Later, he scored in five successive games against Wigan Borough, Crewe Alexandra, Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County and Nelson.
He wasn’t finished there. Six consecutive games went on to bring McConnell goals, against Rochdale, Southport, Halifax Town, Halifax again, Accrington and Lincoln City.
Finally, another burst saw McConnell end the season with goals in Carlisle’s last four league fixtures, against Barrow, Chesterfield, Wrexham and New Brighton. Phew.
ALAN ASHMAN
The man who would go on to become United’s greatest manager contributed two major league goalscoring runs in 1952/3.
His first four-in-a-row came early in the season against Hartlepools, Accrington, Workington and Darlington.
Carlisle’s No9 was then at it again with strikes against Rochdale, Southport, Rochdale again and Crewe.
ALF ACKERMAN
The great South African forward lit up Carlisle’s 1957/8 season with his expert goalscoring, and hit four in a row twice between February and May for Fred Emery’s Blues in Division Three North.
First, Ackerman scored against Chesterfield, Tranmere Rovers, Hartlepools and Gateshead in succession in February. Four later United games in a row brought Ackerman goals again Rochdale, Gateshead, Barrow and Stockport.
HUGH MCILMOYLE
A goalscoring list like this wouldn’t be complete without United’s finest centre-forward of all – and it’s no surprise to know that Hugh McIlmoyle also scored in clusters.
Inevitably, his feat came in the 1963/4 season which saw Carlisle hit record heights for scoring in Division Four.
McIlmoyle scored in a record-equalling six league games on the spin in the autumn, against Torquay United, Hartlepools, Oxford United, Aldershot, Hartlepools again and Bradford.
The Scot then netted in another four straight league matches from November to December, with Chester, York City, Darlington and Tranmere the victims.
ALAN SHOULDER
Carlisle’s return to the second tier in 1982/3 saw the arrival of former Newcastle United man Shoulder, and he scored in impressive bursts to help Bob Stokoe’s side along their way.
In the autumn, Shoulder was on target in consecutive league games against Leeds United, Oldham Athletic, Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers.
Late in the campaign, the diminutive forward also scored off the reel against Bolton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Shrewsbury Town. Not a bad list of victims, all in all.
IAN STEVENS
The striker of recent decades who has been compared to Dennis by some fans, Stevens was no stranger to a goalscoring run in his two spells with Carlisle.
The 2000/1 season of struggle under Ian Atkins saw Stevens prop the Blues up with two four-game sequences.
To start with, he was on target in successive matches against Shrewsbury, Kidderminster Harriers, Rochdale and Chesterfield early in the Division Three campaign.
In February, Stevens then hit similar form to net against Kidderminster, Hartlepool, Plymouth Argyle and Chesterfield as United battled to Football League survival.
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