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After ten minutes some good work by Andy Hardman down the Chester right saw him work a crossing opportunity from the by-line, his low ball cut back for McDermott saw the ex-Fulham man, whose father Terry was looking on from the stands, disappointingly side-foot the chance wide of Vernon's near-post from ten yards out. Shortly afterwards Billy, Hindmarch and Hardman all combined to set McDermott up with another shooting opportunity, this time his effort from 15 yards out in the right-hand channel being well saved by Vernon at his near-post.
The game then went through a bit of a quiet spell for a while, the next shot on goal coming the way of the visitors on 20 minutes, left-back Sean Newton's effort from fully 40 yards out flying miles away from Adam Bradley's goal and into the deserted Warwick Road End. A spark of life came into the match on 26 minutes though when the Blues took the lead after Billy had headed away a City corner, taken by Newton, to the feet of Blake. The second-year YTS defender then firing an excellent diagonal crossfield ball to McDermott away on the right as Carlisle looked to break quickly, McDermott sharply curling a good pass behind the Chester back-line for Hindmarch to chase down. Getting to the loose ball before the City keeper first on the edge of the visitors box meant Hindmarch was able to coolly round Vernon, before walking the ball into an empty net from ten yards out to put United 1-0 up.
Seven minutes later Hindmarch was again in the thick of the action when he was brought down by City centre-half Shaun Kelly 22 yards out just to the right of the 'D'. Grand stepped up to take the free-kick but his left-footed drive took a slight deflection off the defensive wall and meant Vernon was able to fall on the shot in the middle of his goalmouth. After 36 minutes Chester were looking to find an equaliser when Steven Thorpe made a good run down the left-hand channel, his shot from 15 yards out was an easy one for Bradley to save down at his near-post though.
On 39 minutes a foul by Kelly on Hardman 22 yards out on the left-angle of the City penalty area saw McDermott stick a right-footed cross-shot into the box. The effort was blocked in a crowded goalmouth and the ball looked to breaking to Billy only for the United enforcer to be crowded out as Vernon collected the loose ball. Three minutes before the break right-back Ashley Combe fed McDermott down at the by-line, McDermott's low cross in seeing Hindmarch and centre-half Jack Rowlands battle to get to it first, the ball pinging back off the legs of Rowlands and onto Hindmarch before flying out for a City goal-kick.
Just before the half-time whistle, in the one minute of time added on, a great cross in from the left by Newton saw striker Andy Mitchell looking to head the ball towards the United goal. The City youngster completely mistimed his jump though and the ball only skimmed off the top of his head as it went zooming away and out for a Carlisle throw-in in the Warwick/Paddock corner. That being the last action of the opening period in which the Blues had seen more of the ball than the visitors, at times it being just the finishing touch that was lacking.
Chester seemed to have got a kick up the backside during the interval as they game with out a bit more gusto in the second-half, it was still the Cumbrians who made the first chance though three minutes in. Joyce sending an excellent ball over the top of City right-back James Vaughan for United's youth team skipper Shaun Vipond to run onto, Vipond tried to open his body up "a la Thierry Henry" but the finish wasn't the same as the Frenchman as his 15-yard right-footed effort flew across goal and well wide of Vernon's far-post.
After 50 minutes Vaughan hammered in a fierce diagonal drive goalwards from 30 yards out, the ball nicking off Grand as it flew out for a corner. That City flag-kick broke out to Neil Carroll on the right-wing whose cross back in found the head of Kelly just six yards out, Kelly must have thought he was all on to score only for Bradley to make a tremendous save as he got down quickly to push away the Chester man's header with a strong left hand.
A minute before the hour 16-year old trialist striker Gary Madine came on in place of Billy, to the disappointment of most Paddockers the Blues midfield looked a worse place once the ex-Huddersfield man had made his way to the bench. Seconds later Joyce brought down Newton 40 yards out in the left-hand channel, Newton dusted himself down to take the free-kick only to waste it by hitting the ball in well over the United crossbar. Shortly afterwards, as the visitors had a good spell in the match, a Newton cross in from the left saw Francis Smith challenging for the ball with Carlisle centre-half Terry Stewart, possession eventually breaking to Mark Cadwallader, who is currently on loan at Nationwide North crisis club Lancaster City, only for Cadwallader to head wide of Bradley's near-post from just six yards out.
Midway through the second-half Joyce tried his luck from 30 yards out but his right-footed shot was straight at Vernon in the Chester goal. With 68 minutes gone McDermott and Blake worked a quick short corner with McDermott crossing into the City box from the left, Hardman was the first player there, albeit slightly off-balance, and he was unlucky to see his left-footed half-volley from eight yards out ping back out off Vernon's near-post, Vaughan hacking the loose ball clear. Five minutes later Chester brought on Brett Robson for Mitchell upfront, then on 75 minutes Carlisle reserve team boss Greg Abbott made a double substitution, bringing on Matthew Wood for Combe and Dan Wordsworth for Grand, McDermott then taking over the captaincy from Grand.
Shortly afterwards McDermott fouled Cadwallader 30 yards out, Vaughan, who seems to have a thunderbolt of a shot on him, seeing his right-footed goalbound effort well tipped over the top by Bradley. On 79 minutes a corner in by Newton was cleared back out to him by Stewart, this time Bradley wasn't called into action though as the left-back's 25-yard half-volley was sliced miles wide of the United far-post. With five minutes to go the visitors were pushing forward for a late levelling goal again, Bradley having to save a 25-yard right-footed shot by Cadwallader low down at his near-post.
Sixty seconds later Newton played a useful long diagonal pass into the United box, Thorpe heading the ball back into the middle of the goalmouth, no City player was on hand to pick up the pieces though and Bradley was able to collect the loose ball with ease. Three minutes from the end of the game Carlisle finally made all three points safe when they went 2-0 up after a Blake ball down the left had seen a Hindmarch cross in blocked out by Rowlands to McDermott on the left-edge of the Chester box. McDermott stuck in a pacey low cross along the six-yard line from there which Rowlands looked to clear, only for him to boot the ball into the back of his own net under pressure from the sliding-in Madine.
The last chance of the game again came the way of the Cumbrians 30 seconds into the two minutes of time added on, Madine showing some good close control and hold-up play with his back to goal before turning and feeding the ball into Hardman down the right-flank. Hardman running on with the ball before firing in a hard low centre which Hindmarch was just unable to connect with at the City back-stick as the ball flew out for a goal-kick. Madine, like the youth team defeat at home to Stockport last Saturday, again showed some good touches for a youngster thrown in at the deep end and already seems to have earned the nickname of "Buster" as he trains with the youngsters this week.
United line-up :
Adam Bradley, Ashley Combe (Matthew Wood 75), Matthew Blake, Terry Stewart, Simon Grand (Dan Wordsworth 75), Chris Billy (Gary Madine 59), Luke Joyce, Shaun Vipond, Stephen Hindmarch, Andy Hardman, Neale McDermott.
Unused substitutes :
Grant Carson and Richie Hoban.
Chester line-up :
Craig Vernon, James Vaughan, Sean Newton, Shaun Kelly, Jack Rowlands, Mark Cadwallader, Francis Smith, Neil Carroll, Andy Mitchell (Brett Robson 73), Steven Thorpe, Giovanni Feliciello.
Unused substitutes :
Kevin Roberts, Paul Dorman, Paul McManus and James Gregory.
Referee - Mr A Halliday.
Attendance - 50.
Results in the division today :
Bury 3-5 Blackpool
Carlisle 2-0 Chester City
Preston North End P-P Oldham Athletic (waterlogged pitch)
Rochdale 4-3 Accrington Stanley
Tranmere Rovers 2-0 Wrexham
Updated Reserve Team Table : Click here
United's Reserve Team Results : Click here