Toon On Top With Second-Half Display

With Sean McDaid rested and Sunderland trialist centre-half Jean-Yves M'Voto in the middle of the United back four it meant that Peter Murphy was shunted out to left-back today, with the Blues employing the diamond formation that had played the second-half of the 1-0 win at Workington on Tuesday evening. The Carlisle line-up at kick-off being as follows :

Newcastle were pretty close to full strength too with only a few players missing through injury and rest from World Cup duty. It was the Cumbrians though who had the first shot of the game four minutes in when an effort from outside the box deflected off Mike Williamson straight into the arms of Toon goalkeeper Steve Harper.

Carlisle were pressing well early on and Harper was then forced to take a couple of high balls into his penalty area under pressure from Madine, Newcastle then having a Kazenga LuaLua corner cleared by Blues skipper Thirlwell as the match began to tighten up a little, particularly in the midfield areas.

After 25 minutes Curran hit in a tame shot from distance which was easily gathered in by Harper, then four minutes later Collin got miles under a LuaLua corner for Newcastle. The United stopper two yards off taking the flag-kick in, with Peter Lovenkrands then having his close range shot well cleared away from the line by Harte.



LuaLua was busy taking corners in this spell for Newcastle and shortly afterwards Andy Carroll headed one poorly wide from a good position. The visitors, in a good spell in the first-half for themselves, then seeing Kevin Nolan fire a shot way over the top and onto the front of the Warwick End Road from 20 yards out following good approach play by LuaLua.

United went very close to taking the lead in the 33rd minute though when Berrett was brought down by Alan Smith 25 yards out just to the right of the Newcastle 'D'. Harte, obviously from a Carlisle perspective, stepping up to curl the free-kick low towards the far bottom corner, with Harper able to push it behind with ease.

Bridge-Wilkinson's flag-kick in once more saw Harte in the action as his back-post header was kneed up onto the face of his own crossbar by Jose Enrique. Curran, as the Toon were unable to fully clear their lines, not getting a header on target, with Murphy thrashing a long range effort over the top and into a packed Waterworks End in the final piece of the action.

After 36 minutes Carroll headed a high cross from Smith straight at Collin, but it was soon Carlisle, who were the better side in the opening period, attacking again four minutes later. The Blues missing a great chance to open the scoring following Taiwo's neat chipped pass through the middle of a static Newcastle back line, Madine though, in the clear with only Harper in front of him, lobbing his 20-yard effort inches over the top and onto the roof of the Toon net.

Enrique had ended the first-half action with a weak effort from the edge of the Carlisle box that Collin took with ease. But it was former Blues loanee goalkeeper Tim Krul that got a decent round of applause after the interval when he replaced Harper, Newcastle, with it being their first pre-season friendly changing their whole side during the break, while Carlisle made five substitutions and went 4-4-2 for the second-half as follows :

With just 60 seconds gone Price had a shot blocked by Steven Taylor that Krul then collected, but only moments later, Newcastle, who had visibly stepped up a gear, took the lead. Harte being caught out a little bit at the back as Leon Best got in behind him and onto the end of a pass from the impressive Wayne Routledge, Best then rounding Collin before calmly slotting the ball into the United net from a tight angle on the right.

Carlisle were then looking to fight back after 55 minutes when Hurst stuck a ball from the right wing into the Toon penalty area, Price then having his close range shot blocked by James Perch before slicing a poor left-footed effort over the angle of Newcastle far-post and bar as the rebound dropped back to him.

Just after the hour mark and Danny Guthrie played in Nile Ranger for the Toon 15 yards out, Collin stood strong though and was able to block Ranger's shot with his legs. Ranger had the last laugh on 64 minutes however when Routledge completely outstripped Murphy for pace as he broke to the Carlisle by-line on the right, his low ball in then being cleverly back-heeled by Ranger into the far corner of Collin's net from no more than three yards out.

A few changes then came for the Blues as both full-backs, in Murphy and Simek, were replaced by Billy Gibson and Tony Kane respectively, Gibson though going onto the left wing with Matty Robson dropping back into a left-back role. The next substitution coming as Tony Caig, Carlisle's eventual new full-time goalkeeping coach, replaced Collin between the sticks.



One of Caig's first jobs though was to pick the ball out of his own net on 73 minutes when Best laid off possession to Haris Vukcic, the Croatian youngster then showing great composure to turn quickly and fire a 15-yard left-footed drive across the body of Caig and into the far corner of the Cumbrians net. Caig though four minutes later able to hold onto a Vukcic shot from the edge of the box that wasn't as well placed.

Experienced Toon centre-half Steven Taylor was then forced off with a shoulder injury as the game began to coast to a climax with Newcastle in control. One trialist then replaced another at the back for United after 82 minutes when M'Voto, who had a better first-half than second, left the field and Nick Wood came on in the middle of the Blues back four.

Carlisle then made one last change at the back before the final whistle as youth team skipper Steven Swinglehurst took over from Harte in the centre of defence. In the 86th minute Ryan Taylor sent in an excellent cross from the right for Newcastle, but Best headed it wide from eight yards to waste a good chance for the Toon.

The final opportunity of the game coming the way of Carlisle a minute from time when Krul flapped alarmingly at Gibson corner, only for Berrett to slice the loose ball well over the top. So, a decent first-half performance from the Blues drifted away after the break as Newcastle, and in particular Routledge, showed their Premier League pedigree, plenty to build on though for Carlisle with three weeks to go until the start of the season proper.

United line-up :

Adam Collin (Tony Caig 71), Frankie Simek (Tony Kane 67), Jean-Yves M'Voto (Nick Wood 82), Ian Harte (Steven Swinglehurst 85), Peter Murphy (Billy Gibson 67), Paul Thirlwell (Patrick Cregg 46), Tom Taiwo (Kevan Hurst 46), James Berrett, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (Matty Robson 46), Craig Curran (Francois Zoko 46), Gary Madine (Jason Price 46).

No unused substitutes.


Newcastle line-up :

Steve Harper (Tim Krul 46), Fabricio Coloccini (Steven Taylor 46, Liam Henderson 81), Jose Enrique (Shane Ferguson 46), Kevin Nolan (Joey Barton 46), Mike Williamson (James Perch 46), Peter Lovenkrands (Leon Best 46), Alan Smith (Wayne Routledge 46), Andy Carroll (Nile Ranger 46), Kazenga LuaLua (Haris Vuckic 46), Bradden Inman (Danny Guthrie 46), James Tavernier (Ryan Taylor 46).

Unused substitute :

Patrick McLaughlin.


Referee - Eddie Ilderton (Shiremoor).

Attendance - 7,412.



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