After Friday night fun at an extremely wet Parkside Road against Kendal last week with heavy rain hammering down for the majority of the game things were even worse at the Gateshead International Stadium this afternoon. The game, after torrential rain all morning, only just taking place to start with in conditions that would have been 99% likely to see a Football League match called off with some big puddles all across parts of the pitch.
For Carlisle, Ben Mckenna absent injured, skipper Paul Thirlwell missing in action from either half for reasons unknown, Danish trialist Lasse Merring-Mikkelsen features again, along with the more local trialist Stuart Green, two teams of eleven (bar Frank Simek) play a half apiece for United. Carlisle start the match in 4-5-1/4-3-3 mode with Adam Collin in goal and Steven Swinglehurst, Stephen O'Halloran, Lubomir Michalik and Frank Simek across the back four from left to right. In the same direction across the midfield 'five' are Andy Welsh, Liam Noble, Lasse Merring-Mikkelsen, James Berrett and Francois Zoko while in the middle upfront is Craig Curran.
6 mins - the pitch has been the main talking point all along and it claims its first victim as Ben Clark's back pass for the home side gets stuck in a big puddle and stops at Curran's feet. Curran running in before seeing his 18-yard shot easily pushed behind by Gateshead goalkeeper Paul Farman.
8 mins - Eddie Odhiambo and Yemi Odubade combine well for the home side throughout, Odhiambo ends up nutmegging Swinglehurst before sending in a low cross from which Micky Cummins sees a 15-yard drive blocked by O'Halloran.
14 mins - Simek and Zoko raid down the right to set up Welsh for a 15-yard shot on his right foot that is a comfortable one for Farman to hold.
22 mins - Cummins cross in from the right sees trialist, and former Darlington man, Chris Moore head narrowly wide for Gateshead from the middle of the Carlisle box.
23 mins - The home side keep up the pressure and Odubade races away past Swinglehurst, after O'Halloran is another puddle victim, Odubade scooting away down the right-hand channel before shooting low beyond Collin and in from 12 yards out, 1-0.
Midway point - Gateshead adapting to the conditions better, dangerous upfront with the pace of Odubade. Carlisle struggling to get anything going attacking-wise with the puddles playing tricks and Curran having to play down the middle on his own.
33 mins - Nice chipped pass from Phil Turnbull into United penalty area, Swinglehurst and Jon Shaw seem to reach the ball at the same time, Shaw goes down, referee Seb Stockbridge points to the penalty spot. Trialist, and ex-Mansfield man, Kyle Nix steps up to confidently send Adam Collin the wrong way with his left foot from 12 yards, 2-0.
42 mins - Odhiambo handball 22 yards out on left-angle of Gateshead box, Noble curls free-kick wastefully well over angle of far-post and crossbar.
Carlisle start the second-half playing what looks like a pretty loose diamond formation with Mark Gillespie in goal and Matty Robson, Peter Murphy, Danny Livesey and Frank Simek across the back four from left to right. At the base of the midfield diamond is Josh Todd, on the left edge is Stuart Green, the right belongs to Tom Taiwo and at the tip is Jon-Paul McGovern. The two strikers who play the second-half are Rory Loy to the left and Paddy Madden to the right.
46 mins - While Simek is the only United player to play in both halves, Gateshead make just four substitutions during the interval.
47 mins - McGovern curls in a right-footed effort from the left-angle of the Gateshead penalty area which Tim Deasy palms away behind. From the subsequent McGovern corner in Murphy heads over the top under pressure from eight yards out.
55 mins - The rain coming down is now absolutely torrential and the already unplayable pitch is getting worse by the second, with referee Stockbridge taking quick time out to confirm that Gateshead manager Ian Bogie and Carlisle boss Greg Abbott are happy for the game to continue.
58 mins - Common sense finally wins the day and Mr Stockbridge blasts out a final whistle as the match is abandoned with Gateshead 2-0 to the good.
Gateshead line-up :
Paul Farman (Tim Deasy 46), Eddie Odhiambo, Sam Rents (Craig Baxter 46), James Curtis, Ben Clark (c), Kyle Nix, Phil Turnbull (Kris Gate 46), Micky Cummins, Chris Moore, Jon Shaw (Gary Mulligan 46), Yemi Odubade.
Unused substitutes :
Rob Briggs and Josh Gillies.
Goals - Yemi Odubade 23 and Kyle Nix 33 (pen).
United first-half line-up :
Adam Collin, Frank Simek (c), Lubomir Michalik, Stephen O'Halloran, Steven Swinglehurst, Lasse-Merring Mikkelsen, James Berrett, Liam Noble, Francois Zoko, Craig Curran, Andy Welsh.
United second-half line-up :
Mark Gillespie, Frank Simek (c), Matty Robson, Danny Livesey, Peter Murphy, Tom Taiwo, Josh Todd, Stuart Green, Jon-Paul McGovern, Rory Loy, Paddy Madden.
Unused substitutes :
Tony Caig (GK), Graham Kavanagh and Paul Thirlwell.
Referee - Seb Stockbridge (Dunston, Tyne and Wear).
Attendance - 589.
Pre-Season Results 2011-12: Click here