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Two minutes later a cross by the visitors Luke Holden with the outside of his left boot flew across the United goal and out beyond Adam Bradley's back-post. The visitors took the lead after ten minutes when left-back Aaron Cresswell played the ball into Craig Curran, who then touched it off to Sean Ferguson who was running in 25 yards out. Ferguson hammering in an unstoppable right-footed shot which flew past Bradley and into the top right-hand corner of the Carlisle net to give Rovers a 1-0 lead.
After 13 minutes Luke Joyce played a pass across the face of the Rovers 'D' to Wood, the United youngster firing a speculative 25-yarder miles wide. Two minutes later Bradley was forced to make a smart save at his near-post when Rovers' Henry set up Mike Jones for a 15-yard shot from the right-hand channel. In an end-to-end game the Blues were next up with a chance when Rovers skipper Olly James fouled Carlisle starlet Stephen Hindmarch 35 yards out. James Earl sticking the set-piece in, but Danny Livesey could only head into Connolly's side-netting from a tight angle at the back-post.
Shortly afterwards, after some nice passing by the Blues, Joyce played a ball into the middle of the Tranmere box which was inches over the head of the unmarked Earl, Connolly gratefully being able to make a catch. Paul Arnison tried his luck from distance for the Cumbrians in the 21st minute when he smashed a right-footed effort in from 30 yards out, the ball flying at pace across the Rovers goalmouth and over the angle of Connolly's far-post and bar.
Just past the midway point in the half Hindmarch showed some good skill down the left as he got a cross in to the Tranmere back-stick, McDermott was on the end of it but he could only fire a right-footed 12 yard half-volley well over. Sixty seconds later Earl was brought down by Michael Johnston 30 yards out in the left-hand channel, like a lot of the United set-pieces on the night though the delivery in was poor and the ball flew over the heads of everyone as it went out for a Rovers goal-kick.
The Cumbrians were certainly having the majority of the play, although some poor passing at times and disappointing efforts in the final third meant they were always struggling to get onto the scoresheet. In the 27th minute Wood, under pressure from James, headed over from a Joyce cross ten yards out, then up the other end two minutes later Ferris was brought down by Holden on the right-angle of the visitors penalty area. Simon Grand's cross into the danger area was poor though and the ball was easily headed out by Danny Holmes.
Bang on the half-hour mark a long ball up by Grand saw Hindmarch send a 15-yard flicked header just wide of Connolly's far-post, then four minutes later James did well to head away a deep Arnison cross from the right just as Hindmarch looked to be sneaking in behind him to nod the ball goalwards. Shortly afterwards Jones drove in a long-range effort which went straight into the arms of Bradley, United wouldn't be so lucky after 37 minutes though when they went two goals behind.
A long ball over the top of Arnison, who completely sold himself as he tried an intercepting header, by Jones saw Cresswell scooting away down the Cumbrians right. Cresswell biding his time and picking his spot before firing in an excellent low cross which found the unmarked Curran running in just six yards out. Curran leaving Bradley with no chance as he pushed his side-footed shot back across the wrong-footed Blues keeper and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
You could see that second goal visibly lift the confidence of the visitors and on 39 minutes, following some nice movement of the ball going forward, Ferguson played in Holden 22 yards out on the left-angle of the Carlisle box, Holden's finish didn't make the approach play though as his shot flew over the crossbar into the empty Warwick Road End. Rovers did have a stroke of luck after 43 minutes though when Connolly's attempted clearance from a Johnston back-pass was charged down by Ferris, only for the ball to loop fortunately for Tranmere straight up into the hands of a grateful Connolly.
Sixty seconds before half-time, Grand, showing frustration with how things were going, went in late on Holmes and was booked for his troubles. Grand was again having problems in first-half injury time when he gave the ball away again, this time straight to Holden. The Rovers left-winger couldn't take advantage of such generosity though and sent his long-range left-footed effort right down the throat of Bradley, that leaving the scoreline at 2-0 to the visitors at the interval.
The second period was absolutely tepid fare to be perfectly honest, although the prospect of sneaking into the bar to watch the first-half of Macedonia v England was hardly a thrilling prospect either. Nearly all the action came just two mintues in when United, seemingly after a kick up the backside from reserve team boss Greg Abbott, pulled a goal back from a corner. Earl sticking a flag-kick in from the left which Wood met with a thumping header ten yards out, only to see Connolly push the ball onto the underneath of his own crossbar. The ball fell down kindly for Livesey though and he was able to stoop down and head the loose ball into the back of the net from just five yards out.
You might have thought that that would see the Blues throw the kitchen sink at the visitors but you couldn't have been much more wrong as they continued to give the ball away continously, the game descending into a gruesome midfield stalemate. Youngster Mike Stewardson came on for Ferris on the hour-mark then sixty seconds later Rovers responded by replacing Holden with Josh Williams. Stewardson was into the action on 65 minutes when Arnison sent him away down the right, Stewardson cutting inside the Tranmere left-back and sending in a low cross for Earl, the chance was wasted though as he Earl sent his right-footed effort well over.
On 70 mintues Arnison was the second Blue on the night to go into referee Haines' notebook for a poor tackle on Ferguson, then three minutes later the visitors second-string boss Jason McAteer made his second change of the match when he brought on Mike Blundell upfront for the ineffective Terry Gornell. With fifteen minutes left it was the turn of a Rovers man to be yellow-carded when Cresswell was cautioned for a bad challenge on Stewardson, the next action coming four minutes later when United's Wood, who impressed on his reserve team debut, was replaced by Shaun Vipond.
A shot, a shot, my kingdom for a shot and that finally came in the 82nd minute, albeit a weak one as Blundell tried to chip Bradley across goal from 25 yards out on the right-angle of the Carlisle box, the effort drifting miles wide of the Cumbrians far-post. Tom Beahon came on for Ferguson for Rovers from the dead-ball, then four minutes later, as the Blues tried to grab a late equaliser, Livesey headed wide of Connolly's near-post from a long Grand throw-in.
With three mintues to go Bradley was forced to make an excellent two-handed parried save when Beahon played a pass into the feet of Jones, the Rovers midfielder sending in a goalbound 22-yard rasper across Bradley which the United keeper did well to reach. Shortly afterwards Grand headed over when well-placed at close-range from a McDermott corner. The best chance of a late Carlisle leveller came in the first of three minutes of injury time though, when Grand again failed to connect well with a header from a McDermott corner. The loose ball falling to Livesey who saw his shot blocked by the legs of Connolly, the chance of a United goal and an equaliser then disappearing into the night wtih the 80 or so fans present as Earl gave away a free-kick at the Rovers back-stick.
United line-up :
Adam Bradley, Paul Arnison (c), Simon Grand, James Earl, Dan Kirkup, Danny Livesey, Neale McDermott, Luke Joyce, Stephen Hindmarch, Matthew Wood (Shaun Vipond 79), Pete Ferris (Mike Stewardson 60).
Unused substitutes :
Grant Carson (GK), Matthew Blake and Ashley Combe.
Tranmere line-up :
Kevin Connolly, Olly James (c), Aaron Cresswell, Paul Henry, Michael Johnston, Danny Holmes, Mike Jones, Sean Ferguson (Tom Beahon 82), Terry Gornell (Mike Blundell 75), Craig Curran, Luke Holden (Josh Williams 61).
Unused substitutes :
Peter Jones (GK) and Ryan Mitchell.
Referee - Mr A Haines.
Results in the division this week (all games played Wednesday) :
Accrington Stanley 1-1 Bury
Carlisle 1-2 Tranmere
Manchester City 0-4 Blackpool
Oldham 0-0 Wrexham
Updated Reserve Team Table : Click here
Updated Reserve Team Results : Click here