The Blues lining up at kick-off, in a formation that seemed to change from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1 to 4-4-2 at will, as follows :
Danny Carlton - Gary Madine - Scott Dobie
Jeff Smith - Luke Joyce - Shaun Vipond
Zigor Aranalde - Darren Campion - Dan Wordsworth - Paul Arnison
Chris Howarth
With the strong icy wind at their backs United started brightly and in the second minute a Smith corner was headed wide by an unmarked Wordsworth six yards out at the 'Dale back-post. Three minutes later skipper Arnison was fouled 30 yards out on the right, Smith sending in the free-kick left-footed which saw Aranalde's flicked header from just outside the six-yard box flash across goal and wide of the far-post.
After 12 minutes, with the Cumbrians well on top in the early stages, Aranalde sent a free-kick up from the half-way line which was cleverly chested down by Madine to Carlton on the edge of the box. Carlton's right-footed 15-yarder deflecting away from danger off the back of visitors captain Raphale Evans.
Rochdale should have grabbed the opening goal of the match two minutes later though when some good work on the right by the rangy Otis Williams saw a low cross come in to an unmarked Dennis Sherriff six yards out in front of an open goal at the back-post. Williams presumably wanting to shoot the sherriff when young Dennis somehow blazed his right-footed effort way over the top and into an empty Warwick Road End.
Carlisle were still having a good spell of pressure though and in the 20th minute Evans made an excellent tackle on Dobie just as the United man was charging into the 'Dale penalty area, Dobie getting up a little gingerly after the well-timed challenge. Aranalde missing a good chance for the Cumbrians four minutes later when, six yards out at the back-stick, he headed over from a Joyce corner.
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It was in the 38th minute that Dobie once more sprinted away down his flank but Carlton was just unable to get a toe-end on his pacey low cross to the far-post. Two minutes later Carlton, completely free at the back-stick, somehow heading a Smith corner over from just six yards out. Then after 40 minutes Aranalde, Madine and Dobie combined well only for the latter's cross to ping off Evans then Carlton on it's way out for a 'Dale goal-kick.
Carlton was once more in the thick of the action just sixty seconds later when, following a Smith to Arnison short-corner he headed Arnison's ball in over the angle of near-post and bar from eight yards out. The last chance of the half once more coming the way of the Cumbrians only moments before the break as a straight repeat of the incident on 38 minutes saw Carlton again miss out on an excellent cross in from Dobie.
That was the end of proceedings for Dobie though as he was replaced by Connor Tinnion during the interval, United going a bit more 4-4-2 now with Vipond on the right and Tinnion on the left. It was the visitors who had the first chance of the second-half though when a 18-yard right-footed shot from Ben Wharton deflected off Wordsworth and straight into the grateful arms of Howarth.
The 51st minute saw the Blues right back at it though when Tinnion sent a lovely ball down the left-hand channel for Joyce to run onto, Joyce's 15-yard left-footed strike across goal being well pushed wide by Rigby. Smith's initial corner went behind again and this time his flag-kick in was headed out by George Bowyer straight to Tinnion in the 'D', the Cumbrians winger only able to slice a left-footed drive well wide from there though.
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Just after the hour-mark a Wharton corner was cleared straight back to him by Arnison, Wharton's ball back in being criminally wasted by an unmarked Williams who somehow headed wide from just six yards out. In the 64th minute an Aranalde free-kick in, after he had been brought down by Tom Farrell on the left-edge of the Rochdale box, saw the ball eventually reach Smith 18 yards out, Smith hammering a right-footed half-volley inches wide of the far-post.
Midway through the second period Vipond made a good run down the right as he coasted past Alex Skidmore and fed a cross from the by-line into the run of Carlton six yards out. The United striker seeing the ball bounce off one foot and then the other as it flew behind for a goal-kick. The visitors then making their first change of the game on 69 minutes when Tom Buckley was replaced by Joe Reidy.
Joyce's through ball again found an unmarked Carlton 18 yards out in the 71st minute, only for the ex-Morecambe man to slice his left-footed shot miles wide of the target. Sixty seconds later Williams did well on the left flank to cross deep into the Carlisle back-post, Reidy's close-range right-footed volley seemingly disappearing wide off the back of Aranalde only for referee Lee Metcalfe from Preston to signal for a goal-kick.
Aranalde's long throw in the 73rd minute, which caught out the 'Dale defenders a couple of times, saw Carlton in the penalty area touch possession off to Madine 18 yards out. Madine striking a thumping right-footed effort which Rigby initially spilled on the bounce at his near-post before he dived on the ball with Carlton sniffing for a rebound.
And then it was that comedy moment from Zaire v Brazil in the World Cup in 1974 all over again when Rochdale gained a free-kick for a foul by Campion 25 yards from the Carlisle goal. One 'Dale man touched the ball off to his mate to stop, and it worked alright to that point, only for the player supposedly running in for a shot to forget his job, with the three of them then standing looking bemused at each other as Carlton broke from the defensive wall and disappeared off into the distance with the ball at his feet.
Nothing eventually came from that United break and nothing came of a great chance for the Cumbrians in the 80th minute either when Aranalde, as free as a bird six yards out, mistimed his jump and saw a Joyce corner fly off his shoulder and over the visitors crossbar. 'Dale making their second and final change of the night when Matthew Ellis came on for Wharton two minutes later.
After 86 minutes Tinnion and Joyce worked a good shooting opportunity for Madine in the middle of the Rochdale 'D'. Rigby then making an outstanding save as Madine's fierce right-footed drive arrowed it's way towards the top corner of the net. The last strike on goal in the game coming when Aranalde sent a left-footed effort from range low but straight into the arms of Rigby just sixty seconds later.
So, another win for the Carlisle second-string means it's just one defeat from their last twelve reserve team games now although whether boss Eric Kinder will have been happy with some of the finishing on show is another matter. United's next chance to keep an excellent run going coming next Wednesday when they visit a free-scoring Manchester City side in a 2pm kick-off at the Regional Athletic Arena.
United line-up :
Chris Howarth, Paul Arnison (c), Zigor Aranalde, Darren Campion, Dan Wordsworth, Luke Joyce, Shaun Vipond, Jeff Smith, Scott Dobie (Connor Tinnion 46), Danny Carlton, Gary Madine.
Unused substitutes :
Grant Carson (GK), Tom Aldred, Matt Duffy and Jonny Blake.
Rochdale line-up :
Lloyd Rigby, Tom Farrell, Alex Skidmore, Otis Williams, Raphale Evans (c), George Bowyer, Simon Williams, Kyle Lambert, Ben Wharton (Matthew Ellis 82), Dennis Sherriff, Tom Buckley (Joe Reidy 69).
Unused substitutes :
Daniel Handford (GK), Andy Brown and David Doherty.
Referee - Lee Metcalfe (Preston).
Attendance - 60.
Results in the division this week, all Wednesday :
Blackpool 1-2 Burnley (7pm)
Carlisle United 1-0 Rochdale (7pm)
Chester 1-1 Accrington Stanley (2pm)
Manchester City P-P Wrexham (7pm)
Tranmere 1-2 Bury (7pm)
Pontin's Holidays League Cup Semi-Final :
Morecambe 1-0 Leicester City (7pm)
Reserve Team Results : Click here
Reserve Team Table : Click here