Fraser McLaren - Yan Klukowski
Conor Tinnion - Martin McBride - Jonny Blake - James Marwood
Steven Swinglehurst - Jamie Cleary - Tom Aldred - Simon Lakeland
Adam Collin
With that United side out the attendance was a lot lower than it was last season, with the greasy burger van not on the scene either. Although you could have been forgiven for thinking that there would have been more punters through the gates with Chris Howarth, Alex Mitchell, Michael Bridges, Matt Duffy and Grant Smith all resplendent in the Carlisle squad list on the back of the programme. Chris Lumsdon, Lewis Neal and John Seaton also popping up in the pen pictures section.
A strong Kendal side kicked off the game down the slope and were on the ball from the start, Collin just 30 seconds in pushing a close range effort from Warren Beattie behind. That was just a warning for the Blues though and in the sixth minute the home side took the lead when a mistake by Aldred at the back allowed Alex Taylor to race through and slot the ball right-footed under the body of the advancing Collin from 15 yards out.
Town were really flying at Carlisle for large parts of the first half and after 13 minutes they made it 2-0. Aldred having an off night asa nother error, as he tried to shepherd possession into Collin, allowed Dave Foster to control the ball well with his back to goal just inside the penalty area. The Kendal man then executing a lovely overhead kick over the top of a stranded Collin and into the United net on the bounce.
Lakeland then catching the Carlisle bug shortly afterwards when his poorly hit back pass meant that Collin had to make a good reaction save as Danny Wisdom raced through on goal. Blues fans waking up with the first United shot on goal just after the half-hour mark when Fraser McLaren hit a weak 18-yarder straight into the arms of Town keeper David Newnes.
That was a false dawn for Carlisle though as only sixty seconds later it was 3-0 to Kendal. A cross in from the right by Kieran Walmsley pinging low into the far corner of the net beyond Collin as it flicked 12 yards out off either Foster, Cleary or both, Cleary certainly seeming to get the final touch. The goal coming after Swinglehurst had dived in on a challenge a little, the 16-year old a real prospect but staying on his feet at times is one area of his game he needs to work on.
After paying our 50p to an 80-year old wife and husband pair of bouncers in order to upgrade to the main stand before kick-off, the next action was waiting for Swinglehurst to receive the ball in front of us for a throw-in. The ball bouncing up and down on the path as a walking stick, seemingly without a hand attached to the end of it, waved up and down trying to knock the ball back onto the pitch, perhaps Michael Bridges was in attendance after all.
Kendal had been keeping the pressure up throughout the first-half but after Marwood and Tinnion had swapped wings for a short spell late in proceedings United pulled a goal back. Carlisle making it 3-1 in the 41st minute as they started to wake up a little, a good cross in from the right by Lakeland flying into the net from the penalty spot area offe ither Klukowski or Town defender George Melling, Klukowski though seemingly claiming the goal.
Lakeland had taken a whack to the head in the opening period, so whether his substitution at the break was a tactical one or for that injury remains to be seen. The switch seeing youth team skipper Liam Davison come in on central midfield while Blake dropped into the right-back spot, a position he has often filled at youth and reserve team level.
Carlisle were much better immediately after the interval and two minutes in a good run from Tinnion set up McLaren. The Berwick trialist though smacking his right-footed 18-yard effort miles over the bar, the fence, and almost the Lake District. Tinnion taking matters into his own hands in the 49th minute when he beat three with a skilful jinking run, his right-footer across the box from the left-angle forcing an excellent tip over from Newnes as it arrowed towards the top corner.
Just before the hour-mark and youth team keeper Mark Gillespie came on for Collin, first impressions being that Collin catches well but he could perhaps come off his line a little more for a tall bloke. Andy Cook in the 63rd minute then replacing Klukowski, first impressions of Klukowski?, well Derek Holmes comes to mind, someone with all the physical attributes who is unable to jump more than six inches off the ground, although with him having played in midfield in the States he perhaps deserves a further chance.
Gillespie, one of five youth teamers on the six strong United bench, was straight in the action as he made two outstanding saves in sixty seconds just before the midway point in the half. The first a fantastic close-range reaction save from Mark Wane, while the second was an athletic tip over the top after Paul Byrne had got a shot in on the Carlisle goal.
There was less action in front of goal now but one punter still seemed to be enjoying himself as a bundle of activity at the top of the steps at the back door to the clubhouse bar caught our eye. The end result being two blokes hauling someone out down the stairs, his paralytic Shakin' Stevens style walking causing a few laughs as he was partly dragged and partly escorted out of the green door on the far side of the ground.
The first thing he missed being United making it 3-2 in the 67th minute, a good break forward from Marwood seeing the ball played into the feet of Cook. The Blues striker quickly cutting inside a defender befores macking the ball low into the net beyond Newnes from 18 yards out. Marwood in the game showing very occasional glimpses of quality, although his attitude at the final whistle was dreadful as he walked straight off down the tunnel while all the other players and officials were shaking hands.
With Cook winning plenty of headers upfront and the Blues picking up their game a big comeback was looking on now, only for Town to snuff out hopes of that in the 73rd minute as the score went to 4-2. Swinglehurst being beaten on the right by Walmsley whose cross was then met by Beattie eight yards out, Beattie's side-footer hitting both posts after zooming along the line before it finally defeated Gillespie.
That was Swinglehurst's last action of the game as he was replaced at left-back by central midfielder or right-back James Wood. Cook moments later firing across goal but wide from a tight angle on the right before in a busier spell in the match Kendal made it 5-2 in the 76th minute. Beattie's header to Carl Osman seeing Leon's brother fire a neat side-footed volley low past the dive of Gillespie from 15 yards out.
The game started to die off now as we hit the closing stages, Ryan Bowman and Sean Law replacing McLaren and McBride respectively being a couple of things that happened from a Carlisle perspective. The verdict on the two Scottish trialists being that they both looked out of their depth even at this level, McLaren in particular alongside Klukowski in the first-half, putting pressure on his own side as the ball kept on coming straight back with United's front two unable to hold onto possession.
And that was that really as the final whistle came with no injury time played, a lot of Blues players putting in disappointing performances on the night, with Kendal looking a good few weeks ahead of United as far as pre-season training is concerned. A full-strength Carlisle side will take to the field at Workington on Saturday afternoon though so you would hope for a real improvement, however on tonight's showing whether any of the four trialists will be involved should certainly be open to question.
Kendal line-up :
David Newnes, Kieran Walmsley, George Melling, Tony Hallam, Scott Redhead, Carl Osman, Callum Warburton, Warren Beattie, Danny Wisdom, Alex Taylor, David Foster.
Substitutes :
Paul Byrne, Lee Mulvaney, Neil Murphy and Mark Wane.
Carlisle line-up :
Adam Collin (Mark Gillespie 57), Simon Lakeland (Liam Davison 46), Steven Swinglehurst (James Wood 79), Tom Aldred (c), Jamie Cleary, James Marwood, Jonny Blake, Martin McBride (Sean Law 82), Fraser McLaren (Ryan Bowman 77), Yan Klukowski (Andy Cook 62), Conor Tinnion.
No unused substitutes.
Pre-Season Results 2009-10 : Click here