 The match was held on 20 April 1997 at Wembley Stadium, London, and was contested by Carlisle United, featuring in their second final in the competition and looking for their first win, and Colchester United, who were appearing in the final for the first time.Each club needed to progress through five rounds to reach the final, which included a two-legged area final.Carlisle's progress to the final saw them concede just one goal in their six games, scoring twelve in the process.