Johann Smith - Shaun Vipond - Neale McDermott
James Krause - Kevin Gray - Dan Kirkup - Paul Arnison
Chris Howarth
Three minutes later Smith made a good run down the left only to send his cross straight into the Waterworks, then sixty seconds later the Cumbrians found themselves one goal behind. Karl Moore played a nice short pass inside Gray and Kirkup for David Ball to run onto and the City striker picked his spot nicely from ten yards out in the left-hand channel as he fired his shot left-footed across Howarth and into the back of the Carlisle net.
Midway through the first-half Krause played in Holmes 20 yards out, the big Scot was quickly closed down though and his left-footed effort flew straight into the arms of City keeper Laurence Matthewson. After 25 minutes the visitors were looking to double their lead but left-back Ryan McGivern was only able to head wide of the back-post after getting on the end of Adam Clayton's right-wing cross.
Shortly afterwards Smith sliced a right-footed shot wide of the far-post as Carlisle looked to find a leveller, and they eventually did find one on 28 minutes. A long ball up was flicked on by Holmes over the top and into the path of Madine down the left-hand channel. Madine did well to show some strength as he held off the challenge of Clayton McDonald, and then he showed some great composure as well to lift the ball over the body of the diving Matthewson and into the net from 15 yards out.
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Bang on the half-hour mark Vipond was fouled by Scott Kay 30 yards out on the left. All the Blues' big men came up for the free-kick but the set-piece was wasted as McDermott touched the ball off to Vipond and the 18-year old United midfielder sliced his right-footed drive well wide of the far-post. Five minutes later Kirkup went into the book of the slightly fussy Mr Haines for a foul on Ball.
Shortly afterwards Smith made a great run down the left for Carlisle as he beat three Citizens defenders, once again he flattered to decieve though as he sliced his shot well wide of the near-post from 18 yards out. United were still pressing to take the lead on 38 minutes when a deep Arnison cross from the right was headed on in the box by Holmes. Madine then reacted quickly to get his own header on the ball ten yards out only to see it drift inches past the near-post with Matthewson completely stranded.
With 40 minutes gone City's Clayton turned cleverly past Vipond 25 yards out from the United goal, his shot wasn't as good as his skill though as it flew weakly straight at Howarth. The last chance of the opening period came a minute before the break only for United to once more waste a set-piece opportunity after a foul on Smith by Garry Breen 22 yards out to the left of 'D'. This time it was Vipond touching the ball off to Arnison but the result was the same as Arnison's shot sliced well wide of the visitors far-post.
At half-time the United coaching staff replaced Krause with Matthew Blake, that substitution giving a big pointer to the likelihood of Krause coming in for the suspended Zigor Aranalde at Port Vale this Saturday. On 49 minutes Kirkup did well to block a shot over the bar from City's Donal McDermott, the visitors having once more worked an opening for themselves with some crisp football going forward.
The Blues almost took the lead though immediately afterwards when Hindmarch released Smith down the left, Smith took a touch too many on his way into the box however and Matthewson was able to close him down quickly and parry his shot out for a corner. McDermott swung the flag-kick in and a goal almost came from the head of Gray eight yards out, the Cumbrians skipper seeing his effort hacked off the line by the City defender guarding the near-post.
The visitors broke upfield well again in the 54th minute, Moore wasted the chance as his left-footed shot from the Carlisle 'D' was an easy one for Howarth to hold onto with both hands. Just after the hour mark City made their first change of the game when Michael Daly replaced Ball upfront. Daly's first involvement in the match coming on 65 minutes when he sent a long-range shot well wide of the United far-post.
In the 69th minute McGivern, who impressed for City, made a cracking run forward as the visitors pushed up, the left-back eventually rounding Howarth only to find himself at a tight angle on the by-line. His cross to the back-stick was on target though only for Ashley Williams to waste it as he hammered his right-footed volley from close range straight into the Neil Centre car-park. Three minutes on and City made another change as they brought on James Poole for McDermott.
The visitors were hunting for a late winner on 77 minutes when Williams did well to play in Daly just inside the right-edge of the Carlisle box. Once more the radar was off target though as Daly's right-footed shot was fired powerfully over the top of Howarth's crossbar. Daly again too high and off target sixty seconds later, this time from 22 yards out after Poole has pushed the ball on into his path.
After quite a few challenges that could have seen a yellow card two came in quick succession around the 80 minute mark. The first offender being Williams who, after fouling Madine, hoofed the ball away into the East Stand in disgust at the awarding of a United free-kick. Then it was the turn of a Carlisle man to recieve a booking when Vipond was cautioned for a late challenge on McGivern.
With only nine minutes to go a useful City cross came in from the right by Williams. Clayton was able to get a head to the ball at the Cumbrians back-stick but his eight-yard effort proved an easy one for Howarth to take, the United debutant doing nothing wrong in his first game although he did have little to do. In the 86th minute the visitors coaching staff made their final substitution of the game when they brought on Angelos Tsiaklis for Williams.
The last chance for either side to grab all three points came just short of injury time when Smith, who for some reason had swopped flanks and gone completely out of the game, fouled Moore 35 yards out on the Citizens left. The set-piece came to nothing though when Howarth was fouled as he looked to claim the cross at his back-post. So, the match finished even-stevens in an encounter that will probably have left both sets of managers with more questions than answers.
United line-up :
Chris Howarth, Paul Arnison, James Krause (Matthew Blake 46), Shaun Vipond, Kevin Gray, Dan Kirkup, Stephen Hindmarch, Neale McDermott, Derek Holmes, Gary Madine, Johann Smith.
Unused substitutes :
Adam Bradley (GK), Terry Stewart, Matthew Wood and Matthew Brown.
City line-up :
Laurence Matthewson, Garry Breen, Ryan McGivern, Ashley Williams (Angelos Tsiaklis 86), Clayton McDonald, Ben Mee, Adam Clayton, Scott Kay, Donal McDermott (James Poole 72), David Ball (Michael Daly 61), Karl Moore.
Unused substitutes :
Chris Ramsey and Ben Morris.
Referee - Mr Haines.
Attendance - 181.
Results in the division this week, all Wednesday night :
Bury 2-2 Oldham
Carlisle 1-1 Manchester City
Preston North End 5-1 Accrington Stanley
Rochdale 1-2 Wrexham
Tranmere 3-1 Blackpool
Updated Reserve Team Table : Click here
United's Reserve Team Results : Click here