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The Blues started well and were in total control throughout against a youthful Stanley side, Bridge-Wilkinson in the second minute sticking in a corner from which Jamie Cleary, eight yards out, headed over the top. Three minutes on and Manny Richardson, playing on the right, hit in a right-footed 20-yarder that was pushed wide by Reds goalkeeper Josh Molloy, Accrington then able to see out any danger from the resultant Bridge-Wilkinson corner.
Carlisle kept attacking early on and after seven minutes Ryan Bowman struck in a shot from 15 yards out in the left-hand channel which zipped inches wide of the near-post. Jonny Blake then three minutes later curling a left-footed effort from the edge of the box onto the face of the Stanley crossbar, an under pressure Bowman then hitting the rebound over the top with his right boot from eight yards out.
Accrington then had a rare opportunity to score moments later when a ball in from the right by Louis Melo flicked off the head of Michael Burns on its way to the Carlisle far-post, Jonathan Evans though putting a diving header wide from close range as the ball flew in front of him. With 13 minutes gone Johnny Flynn fouled Blake just to the right of the home 'D', Bridge-Wilkinson's right-footed shot from there though was always going too high as it disappeared into the empty seats behind the goal.
Six minutes later though and United finally did deservedly take the lead when Blake made a good run into the middle of the box to flick a neat header into the net from a well placed Bridge-Wilkinson corner. Carlisle then trying to make it 2-0 on 24 minutes but a long range effort from Burns only flew over the top of Molloy's crossbar.
Shortly afterwards and a touch from Bowman then produced a quick turn from Richardson, the United youngster though having his right-footed 20-yard drive parried out behind by Molloy, Tom Aldred then sending a header from ten yards out across goal and wide following the corner which was played into the box by Blues left-winger Conor Tinnion.
Onto the half-hour mark and Bowman had to make way as a precaution on a slight groin problem, Ben McKenna coming on and going into his natural right-wing spot, which meant that Richardson was pushed upfront on his own. The last chance of the half for another goal coming the way of Richardson bang on the buzzer when, from a Simon Lakeland pass, his left-footed 12-yarder deflected off the legs of Zak Riley on its way into the hands of Molloy.
After the interval things were changed upfront for the Cumbrians as Bridge-Wilkinson made an extremely rare foray into a centre forward role with Richardson dropping back into his midfield spot. Accrington then had one of their few attacks with 47 minutes gone when Aldred fouled John Miles on the left-angle of the Carlisle box, Miles though only able to slam the free-kick right-footed straight into the United wall, Burns the Blue heading clear.
With 49 minutes gone Carlisle's natural attacking options became even less when Richardson twisted an ankle in a challenge and had to be replaced by youth team skipper Liam Davison, who worked hard in the middle when he came on. Tinnion then sixty seconds later sliding a left-footed 20-yarder with the outside of his boot across goal from his wing, the curler though drifting narrowly wide.
McKenna produced the pass for Burns to have a shooting opportunity in the 53rd minute, his left-footed effort from just outside the Stanley 'D' though slicing away wide of the target. McKenna then involved in a worked short corner with Tinnion ten minutes later which resulted in Tinnion sticking a cross in and Aldred heading over the top from the middle of the box.
Around the middle of the half came three substitutions, two by Stanley and one for Carlisle. The home side bringing on Lyndon Hodgkiss and Martin Payne for Riley and Jamie Larner respectively, while James Wood replaced Cleary for United, the Blues centre-half having taken a slight knock to the ankle. That personnel change meaning that Wood went to right-back and Tony Kane moved in one to centre-half to cover for Cleary's absence.
On 73 minutes Blake made an excellent surging run forward through the middle of the park but his right-footed shot from outside the penalty area only went straight at Molloy. Stanley then making their third and final substitution of the match three minutes later when Harun Bhatti replaced Evans in the Accrington engine room.
United had throughout been better than their one goal lead and they made it 2-0 on 81 minutes following a Melo foul on Tinnion over in the far corner of the pitch. Bridge-Wilkinson from there whipping the free-kick right-footed all the way across goal through a ruck of players, Aldred was loitering at the far-post though and he was able to nod a stooping header over the line from close range.
The goal that made it 3-0 to the Cumbrians two minutes later certainly wasn't from close range though after Luke McVarish had fouled Tinnion around 30 yards out. Burns touching the free-kick off for a right-footed goal of the season strike from Kane, the Belfast boy's shot going like an absolute rocket as straight as an arrow into the far postage stamp top corner of the Accrington net.
Stanley's afternoon, and one of peace and quiet for Blues goalkeeper Mark Gillespie, summed up sixty seconds later when Miles "fired" in a left-footed effort from the middle of the Carlisle 'D' which actually sliced out for a throw-in. United now going into the Christmas break with a five point lead at the top of the table on the back of an excellent record of six wins from seven, so well done to all concerned.
Accrington line-up :
Josh Molloy, Luke McVarish, Michael Hall, Jordan Nield, Johnny Flynn, Zak Riley (c) (Lyndon Hodgkiss 66), Jonathan Evans (Harun Bhatti 76), Josh Cartman, Jamie Larner (Martin Payne 67), Louis Melo, John Miles.
Unused substitutes :
Matthew Ince (GK).
United line-up :
Mark Gillespie, Tony Kane, Simon Lakeland, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (c), Tom Aldred, Jamie Cleary (James Wood 66), Manny Richardson (Liam Davison 49), Jonny Blake, Ryan Bowman (Ben McKenna 30), Michael Burns, Conor Tinnion.
Unused substitutes :
Jon Ball (GK) and Sean Law.
Referee - Peter Bankes (Bootle).
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