|
Carlisle had one of their better chances to score in the fifth minute when Richard Offiong, with Conor Tinnion to the left and Ryan Bowman to the right of him laid possession across to Tinnion 18 yards out. Tinnion though seeing his left-footed drive from there well tipped over the top by 'Dale goalkeeper Kenny Arthur.
Two minutes later and from a Marc Bridge-Wilkinson corner a close range Tom Aldred header skimmed away off his forehead and out beyond the far-post. After a quiet spell in the match Jonny Blake, featuring at left-back, struck a right-footed drive over the top from distance in the 20th minute before Rochdale started to get some good passing football going.
A comedy moment came two minutes later following a Michael Burns foul on Ciaran Toner, Gary Jones twice trying to take the free-kick quickly only to be pegged back by the referee, his eventual ball into the Carlisle box producing nothing. With 25 minutes on the clock a poor Mark Gillespie clearance fell straight to Kallum Higginbotham 30 yards out, Higginbotham unable though to get his right-footed shot on target as it sailed well over the crossbar.
Shortly afterwards a Toner cross in from the right was headed across goal but wide by Scott Hogan on the Blues penalty spot, then Callum Byrne set Higginbotham up down the right-hand channel for a 15-yard right-footed shot that Gillespie was able to watch disappear over the top, something he wasn't able to do in the 31st minute.
That being the moment that the home side scored the only goal of the game as Higginbotham and Hogan played a lovely one-two that ended in Higginbotham crossing low into the box. Byrne had somehow made it to 12 yards out without being covered and it was his weak left-footed effort that took a horrible bobble over the body of the diving Gillespie on its way to dribbling into the United net.
After 34 minutes Toner hit a drive from just outside the Carlisle box straight into the arms of Gillespie, then the last chance of the half came the way of the Cumbrians in the final minute. Kane feeding the ball to Offiong for a 12-yard turn and shot blocked on his right foot, possession then rebounding out to Blues skipper Paul Thirlwell who could only slice his similar effort away wide of the near-post.
Bridge-Wilkinson was pushed a little further up for Carlisle after the interval but it was still Rochdale with the first opportunity seconds in when Higginbotham shot straight at Gillespie from 20 yards out. Hogan then setting up the impressive youngster Helios Andre in the 51st minute, this time though from just inside the box he wasn't very impressive, a big bobble when shooting meaning that his effort on goal went almost into orbit, at the very least.
The home side again pressing in the 53rd minute when Hogan cut in from the left only to fire wide from 18 yards out on his weaker right foot. Two minutes later Toner smacking a long range free-kick straight into the United wall following a Tom Aldred foul on Higginbotham, Aldred featuring alongside Peter Murphy at the heart of the Carlisle defence.
Just before the hour-mark and the Blues missed a half chance to equalise following a Hogan foul on Bowman out on the right. The free-kick in by Burns flicking off the head of Toner and inches past his own far-post, Bridge-Wilkinson then knocked the corner across which missed everyone bar Murphy six yards out, his half-volley already looking like it was going wide though before it pinged off the body of Aldred on its way behind for a goal-kick.
Moments later and Jones hit a left-footed shot straight at Gillespie from 22 yards out, then in the 62nd minute Higginbotham pulled a right-footer well wide from distance. Sixty seconds later and Ben McKenna replaced a hobbling Bowman on the United right, Tinnion then going close after 64 minutes with a cross-shot on his left foot that flew inches wide from the edge of the 'Dale penalty area.
McKenna certainly introduced himself to the game quickly as he was yellow carded for a heavy challenge on Josh Brizzel just two minutes into his time on the pitch, Brizzel having to go off injured to be replaced by Michael Roche shortly afterwards. Blues boss Eric Kinder then making a change in the 71st minute when Simon Lakeland came on for Thirlwell, Blake then going into Thirlwell's midfield spot as Lakeland moved into the left-back position.
Ten minutes from time and Bridge-Wilkinson sent a right-footed curler over the top from 22 yards out, then after 82 minutes, from a Tony Kane pass, Offiong had a right-footed shot on the turn from 12 yards out pushed behind by Arthur. Tinnion swinging the corner in which was headed wide by Murphy, now wearing the captain's armband, from a very tight angle at the back-stick.
Rochdale then made their final substitutions in the match as Tom Bentham and Liam Murray came on for Andre and Byrne respectively. With 85 minutes on the clock Tinnion did extremely well to get away from three challenges in the near corner, his low left-footed cross in skimming away off the studs of 'Dale centre-half Rory McArdle with no Carlisle attacker really in sight.
Shortly afterwards and Kane smacked a right-footed drive from the edge of the home box well over Arthur's crossbar, then Bridge-Wilkinson, and particularly Lakeland, showed good touches to set up Tinnion for a 15-yard half-volley straight at Arthur in the 89th minute. A suddenly red hot Tinnion then smacking a shot in from the edge of the box which was parried out by Arthur, Offiong however unable to profit from the rebound as his close range effort was blocked by Roche.
The last chance for Carlisle to grab an equaliser coming and going two minutes into injury time as Kane looked for a repeat of his Accrington blockbuster from a free-kick. This time though, 25 yards out after a Jones foul on Burns, his right-footed shot deflected off the defensive wall and dribbled through straight into the grateful gloves of Arthur. Rochdale then holding out for what was just about a deserved win in the end.
Rochdale line-up :
Kenny Arthur, Matthew Flynn, Josh Brizzel, (Michael Roche 67) Ciaran Toner, Rory McArdle, Marcus Holness, Callum Byrne (Liam Murray 82), Gary Jones, Kallum Higginbotham, Helios Andre (Tom Bentham 82), Scott Hogan.
Unused substitutes :
Danny Taberner (GK) and Chris Brown.
United line-up :
Mark Gillespie, Tony Kane, Jonny Blake, Paul Thirlwell (Simon Lakeland 71), Tom Aldred, Peter Murphy, Ryan Bowman (Ben McKenna 63), Michael Burns, Richard Offiong, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, Conor Tinnion.
Unused substitutes :
Jon Ball (GK), Liam Davison and Steven Swinglehurst.
Reserve Team Results : Click here
Reserve Team Table : Click here