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On a newly-laid astroturf surface the Blues started off in a 4-4-2 formation as follows: Westwood; Arnison, Aranalde, Gray, Murphy; Hackney, Joyce, P Murray, Gall; Holmes and Bridges. UE San Jose lined up in an intriguing method, with a sweeper at the back and two wide men supporting what was supposed to be a lone striker, only for it to end up more like a 5-5-0 formation.
Carlisle came straight out for the job from the start and in the 2nd minute Bridges sent a cross in to the far-post which Gall headed goalwards from close-range. The opposition keeper was able to parry the effort up in the air and catch it though. The Blues soon went 1-0 up two minutes later when a Bridges ball from the left was dummied by Holmes across the face of the keeper. That left Gall clear in front of goal and he was able to sidefoot home into an empty net from ten yards out.
Only two minutes later it was 2-0 when Hackney charged away down the left, his low ball in finding Holmes on the six-yard line for a simple finish. After ten minutes came the third United goal, a through ball by Bridges inside the centre-half finding Gall. The ex-Yeovil man hitting a low shot across the keeper and into the bottom corner from 15 yards out.
On 13 minutes some good work by Gall and Hackney down the left saw a ball in and a Holmes shot blocked. The rebound fell to Bridges but the keeper did well to hold his fierce mid-range effort. Nine minutes later good approach play by Gall, Arnison and Joyce saw Bridges smash a 15-yard half-volley against the San Jose crossbar, the effort being cleared out straight to Aranalde. The Basque left-back hammering in a low left-footed drive which was well handled by the overworked home keeper.
After 27 minutes a deep cross by Hackney from the left found Holmes, the big Scot cutting in and firing in a low drive which the keeper pushed out for a corner. Bridges put the flag-kick in which flew past Aranalde and bounced inches past the far-post off the legs of Murphy. Two minutes later the score was 4-0 to United, a nice one-two between Gall and Bridges sending Gall racing into the clear in front of goal. From there it was an easy finish for the new Blue really as he sidefooted home past the keeper from the penalty spot area.
Just after the half-hour mark a deep diagonal ball from Arnison found Holmes, only for the Carlisle striker to pull his left-footed half-volley across goal and out over the by-line. Seconds later Joyce tried his luck from distance but his shot went well over. The home side had their first chance of the match in the 34th minute. The left-back putting in a corner which the left-winger scuffed across the face of the box, the San Jose forward picking up on the loose ball only to fire his shot straight at Westwood.
Straight from there Carlisle made it 5-0 on a quick breakaway. Gall flying away down the left and cutting the ball back for Joyce, the ex-Wigan youngster hammering a right-footed cracker straight into the top corner of the San Jose goal. Two minutes later it was 6-0 as Bridges played Hackney in down the left. His ball across found Paul Murray who cut inside the centre-half to fire a low drive into the net from 16 yards out with his left foot.
On 35 minutes came an enforced substitution for the home side when their holding midfielder fouled Hackney, his continued dissent seeing him sent off to the cooler for a bit to be replaced by the number ten. Five minutes later a concerted spell of pressure by the Cumbrians saw them make it seven through Paul Murray. An Aranalde long throw being flicked on by Holmes to Gall who saw his close-range shot well saved by the keeper. The ball breaking to Paul Murray inches out from the goal-line for a simple tap-in into an empty net. Shortly before half-time Bridges set up Hackney nicely on the edge of the San Jose box, the ex-Woodley Sports winger smashing his left-footed piledriver inches wide of the near-post.
New Blues boss Neil McDonald made ten changes from eleven at the break, with only Murphy staying on and moving across to left-back from centre-half, United lining up for the second period as follows : Williams; Raven, Murphy, Livesey, Grand; A Murray, Billy, Lumsdon, Nade; G Murray and Hawley. The home side, unsurprisingly, got a rocketful at half-time and they came out of the traps in a much sharper fashion than they had done at the start of the game.
On 48 minutes a good run by the San Jose right-winger saw a low 25-yard drive come in which was easy for Williams to hold. The fightback was short-lived though as Carlisle went 8-0 up on 55 minutes after Grand had seen his header from an Adam Murray corner deflected wide. Murphy put the next flag-kick in and this time it was Glenn Murray who got to the ball first as he headed the centre into the net from six yards out.
Two minutes later the home side looked to get back into it with a nice move down the left seeing the ball played across the edge of the United box for their number sixteen, he showed no composure though as he blazed his drive well over. Just after the hour mark the holding midfielder made a Great Escape out of his Steve McQueen cooler to replace one of the San Jose players, rolling substitutions in the second-half being the order of the day on a hot night for the Ibizans.
Shortly afterwards Williams was called into service again when Lumsdon conceded a free-kick 40 yards out. The ball coming in goalwards via a San Jose head at the far-post but it was an easy catch for the United keeper to make. Spurred into action once more the Cumbrians made it 9-0 after 65 minutes when Hawley picked the ball up from Nade in the middle of the ´D´ and fired a low hard shot into the far bottom corner with his left foot.
Two minutes later a Murphy cross from the left found Glenn Murray, but the Maryport-born striker found it hard to control the ball as he would have liked, and could only fire his drive wide of the near-post. After 69 minutes Murphy´s night was over as he left the field to be replaced by the returning Aranalde, who came on to make sure no Carlisle player saw 90 minutes of play on the night. Sixty seconds on and a very speculative effort from the San Jose left-winger flashed high, wide and not very handsome from fully 35 yards out.
With fifteen minutes of the game left Nade was brought down on the right-hand by-line. Lumsdon sent in the free-kick which Grand headed powerfully into the back of the net, only for the referee to disallow the effort for climbing by the United man. After 83 minutes Hawley´s cross from the right found the head of Glenn Murray, but he could only nod it wide of the target under pressure from eight yards out.
A tenth goal soon came sixty seconds later though, Adam Murray spraying a superb 40-yard diagonal pass over the top of the home right-back and straight into the path of Hawley. The hitman taking the ball on and sending the keeper the wrong way from 12 yards out to make the score 10-0. Not for long however as it was 11-0 just moments later when some good work by Hawley set up Nade. The Ivorian-born frontman sending a low right-footed shot into the corner of the San Jose goal from ten yards out.
It looked like it was 12-0 on 87 minutes only for the offside flag to rule out a close-range finish by Hawley, after a Nade ball across had been cleverly dummied by Glenn Murray. A minute later, as Carlisle finished the match strongly, Adam Murray sent another excellent diagonal ball over the top, this time from left to right, only for Nade to push his left-footed effort from close-range wide of the San Jose near-post.
After 89 minutes Adam Murray looked to get himself on the scoresheet with a run through the middle and a 20-yard effort which only flew well wide of the near-post. As the clock ticked into injury time Adam Murray found Hawley on the left with a well-weighted pass, Hawley´s low cross in being left alone by Glenn Murray for Lumsdon to get a drive in. Sadly for the ex-Sunderland schemer his well-hit effort from just 15 yards out flew, at pace, straight into the arms of the San Jose keeper.
The very last chance of the game came for the home side as the striker tried his luck from the left-angle of the Carlisle box, only to watch his effort slice well wide of Williams´near-post. The win for the Blues means they will now meet the winners of the Stockport v Scunthorpe game on Tuesday night in the final to be played at 20.00 (BST) on Thursday evening.