Danny Carlton - Gary Madine
Connor Tinnion - Luke Joyce - Matthew Wood - Scott Dobie
Zigor Aranalde - Darren Campion - Dan Wordsworth - Paul Arnison
Chris Howarth
A young Citizens side, featuring some of their players who have the reached the FA Youth Cup final, showed their intent right from the start when inside the opening minute of the game impressive Liberian youth international Alex Nimley-Tchuimeni fired a right-footed effort from 22 yards out wide of Chris Howarth's near-post.
Three minutes later and once more it was City as Darren Campion was forced into a good block from Adam Clayton's 15-yard left-footed half-volley across the Carlisle box. Then shortly afterwards Nimley-Tchiumeni was again in the thick of the action when from just to the right of the United 'D', he fired a left-footer well wide of Howarth's far-post.
With 13 minutes on the clock the Blues finally got their first effort on goal in when Scott Dobie, in the right-hand channel, sent a right-footed drive across the box and out at the back-stick for a goal-kick from 22 yards out. Campion, unmarked at the far-post three minutes later, then volleying Luke Joyce's corner over the top of Filip Mentel's goal with his left boot from close range.
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Moments later Christian Mouritsen's powerful long-range left-footed effort almost deceived Howarth on his line and it took the Blues goalkeeper two grabs to keep hold of the ball. City had always been looking the most threatening side going forward as they attacked with pace and vigour and that attitude saw them open the scoring on 28 minutes.
Karl Moore skipping easily past Carlisle skipper Paul Arnison down the left before crossing low along the six-yard line, the ball somehow evading everybody before Tinnion fouled Mouritsen out on the right as both players looked to chase down possession. Giant City centre-half Clayton McDonald then rising eight yards out to flick a neat header past Howarth and into the net from Mouritsen's left-footed set-piece into the box.
United almost going 2-0 down just two minutes later when a gruesome mix-up at the back between Campion and Dan Wordsworth allowed Poole, on the Blues penalty spot, to hammer a left-footed half-volley off the top of Howarth's crossbar and into a deserted Warwick Road End.
Carlisle got some better stuff going in the 32nd minute when Tinnion's cross from the left found Joyce 15 yards out with his back to goal. The United midfielder turning quickly and firing in a right-footed drive only to see Mentel make a smart save low down at his left-hand post. Sixty seconds later though and City were back at it when Nimley-Tchuimeni's shot with his right foot from 22 yards out in the right-hand channel went wide of Howarth's near-post.
Tinnion whipped a corner into the City box after 36 minutes, which saw Dobie, challenging with Mentel on the six-yard line, head over the top under pressure. Two minutes later and Dobie was working hard again when this time he cut out a City pass on the right before laying the ball across to Joyce just outside the 'D'. Joyce's first-time right-footed drive flying hard and low but sadly straight into the arms of Mentel.
Five minutes before the break and Danny Carlton tried his luck from the right-angle of the City box only for his left-footed shot to fly across goal and miles wide of Mentel's far-post. Two minutes later though and Mentel was forced into a save, when Zigor Aranalde attacked well down the left and hammered in a fierce 15-yard drive with his favoured foot which fairly stung the City keeper's hands as he pushed it over his own crossbar.
Just as the clock ticked into the 45th minute the visitors made it 2-0 when Moore again zoomed past Arnison before firing a cross into the box, the ball taking a couple of ricochets about until it fell to Nimley-Tchuimeni 12 yards out who easily thumped a left-footed shot beyond the reach of Howarth. The last action of the half seeing Aranalde smash a 22-yard left-footed free-kick straight into the City wall after Gary Madine had been fouled by McDonald.
It's tempting to make up something of interest in the opening fifteen minutes of the second-half but that would be too generous to the game itself, with the only thing that actually happened of any note coming after 56 minutes. City's McDonald, having pulled up lame with what looked like a thigh problem moments earlier, being replaced by Ben Morris, Sam Williamson then moving to centre-half to partner Matthew Brown as Morris came straight in at left-back.
Seconds before the hour-mark and Clayton sent a lovely ball through the middle for Poole to race onto, Howarth doing well though to come out and block Poole's right-footed shot just inside the Carlisle box, with his, erm, lower abdomen. The break in play as Howarth had a quick count-up seeing Blues substitute Stephen Hindmarch replace Tinnion over on the United left.
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Moments later, as the Cumbrians had a better spell, Dobie and Carlton worked a deep cross from the right into the box which Madine knocked back into the danger area at the far-post, Mentel was alive to the danger though and he was able to pounce on the ball before Joyce could reach it. Poole responding for the visitors shortly afterwards with a 22-yard left-footed drive from the right-hand channel which flew across goal and wide of Howarth's far-post.
After 73 minutes an Aranalde long throw into the City penalty area was well flicked on by Madine to Joyce ten yards out in the middle, the Carlisle midfielder hooking the ball over his head and goalwards from there only for Mentel to make an easy catch. Two minutes later Chris Chantler replaced Mouritsen in the visitors engine room and it was around this time that Hindmarch and Dobie swapped flanks as the Blues looked to get something going upfront.
Another barren spell in the match followed before City made it 3-0 with five minutes to go with a lovely goal. Nimley-Tchuimeni making an excellent tricky run down the left and chipping the ball into the middle for Poole to execute the perfect scissor kick with his right foot from 15 yards out as he hammered his shot back across Howarth and into the net.
The sixty or so supporters present giving man-of-the-match Nimley-Tchuimeni a warm reception as he left the fray two minutes later in place of Jack Redshaw. The final action in the game coming moments later when Morris's long ball down the left saw Wordsworth under hit his back-pass, Poole picking up on the United man's error only to weakly chip a left-footed shot into the arms of Howarth from 15 yards out on the left.
So, certainly a game to forget tonight for the United second-string against a City side who simply worked harder for the win across all the park. That being most evident in injury-time at the end of the match as three opposition players, despite being 3-0 up, sprinted back at full pelt to close down Carlton as the Blues looked to break. United's next chance to improve on tonight comes next week they play Burnley away on Wednesday night.
United line-up :
Chris Howarth, Paul Arnison (c), Zigor Aranalde, Darren Campion, Dan Wordsworth, Darren Campion, Luke Joyce, Matthew Wood, Scott Dobie, Danny Carlton, Gary Madine, Connor Tinnion (Stephen Hindmarch 60).
Unused substitutes :
Grant Carson (GK), Matt Duffy, Andy Cook and Jonny Blake.
Manchester City line-up :
Filip Mentel, Chris Ramsey, Sam Williamson, Matthew Brown, Clayton McDonald (c) (Ben Morris 56), Christian Mouritsen (Chris Chantler 75), Adam Clayton, Paul Marshall, James Poole, Alex Nimley-Tchuimeni (Jack Redshaw 87), Karl Moore.
Unused substitutes :
Gregory Hartley (GK) and Dylan Robinson.
Referee - David Webb (County Durham).
Attendance - 60.
Results in the division tonight, all 7pm unless stated :
Accrington Stanley 0-3 Wrexham
Carlisle United 0-3 Manchester City
Chester 0-2 Tranmere
Morecambe 1-7 Burnley
Preston North End 2-1 Blackpool (2pm)
Rochdale 1-1 Bury
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