It was a mix of four professionals and seven youth team players who took to the field for the Blues tonight as they looked to be the first club to win the trophy back to back since Gretna in 1993/94 and 1994/95. Carlisle starting the game with Dale Minor, Stephen O'Halloran, Josh Todd and Brandon Gwinnutt across the back from left to right while Paul Thirlwell anchored the midfield in front of them.
Mark Beck (pictured) then down the middle upfront, while the remaining quartet of Jack Lynch, Paddy Madden, Brad Potts and Dave Symington played in pretty fluid roles across and up the park shooting towards the Waterworks End during the first period. Madden and Potts combining themselves for the opening chance of the game in the second minute when Madden's cut-back from the by-line found Potts eight yards out, only for a Potts side-footer on goal to ping away off Beck.
Two minutes later and it was Lynch setting up Madden for a shot, but Madden's right-footed 25-yard effort on goal sliced away wide of Andy Casson's right-hand post. The Blues then on the attack once more after eight minutes when a Lynch pass found Thirlwell for a chip into the box which was headed up into the air by Harraby's former Carlisle YTS player Matty Bell, Madden when the ball came down only hitting a right-footed 12-yard volley weakly into the arms of Casson on the bounce.
With 11 minutes on the clock the Catholics had their first chance, but long throw man Dan Balmer pulled his right-footed drive from just outside the penalty area wide of Mark Gillespie's near-post. Madden then just sixty seconds later looking to get something going for United, but he struck a ten-yard right-footed shot straight into Casson's side-netting from a tight angle. Gillespie though having to make a save, albeit an easy catch, up at the other end in the 14th minute as he held onto a right-footed chip by Harraby skipper Mike Swift from 20 yards out.
There was then a busy spell of action five minutes later when Thirlwell and Madden were involved before the ball broke to Beck for a left-footed 15-yard half-volley that deflected away behind off Matt Thompson. Lynch's resultant corner in seeing a Potts header from the middle of the box taken by Casson, who then humped the ball a country mile downfield for Dean Armstrong to flick on in the Carlisle 'D' and bring a sprawling hold from Gillespie away to his left.
United were back up and at it in the 21st minute though when Madden chested the ball down for Beck for a shot that had exactly the same beginning and end as his previous effort. Lynch's corner in this time seeing Madden the header winner at close range, with Casson parrying the ball away at his far-post before Alan Casey completed the Harraby clearance. Another Lynch corner four minutes later though seeing Casson untested when Beck headed wide of the back-stick from ten yards out.
Just after the half-hour mark and Symington's cross in from the right saw Lynch have a left-footed 20-yard drive deflect up into the air off another former Blues YTS player in Ashley Combe. Gwinnutt though managing to get on the end of the dropping ball only to slice his volley with his right boot from just inside the box well wide of Casson's left-hand upright. Carlisle again pressing in the 34th minute when Beck set up Madden for a right-footed effort from 20 yards out which was blocked away by Casey.
United did finally make the breakthrough moments later however when Lynch made a fantastic run through the middle as he dodged past a couple of challenges before rounding Casson, Potts though in the right place to commit daylight robbery on Lynch as it was him who got to the ball again first to tap it into an empty net from ten yards out. Carlisle then looking to quickly make it 2-0 in the 37th minute but Minor's cross in from the left was headed straight at Casson by Madden from the middle of the penalty area.
Any kind of lead didn't last long for the Blues though when Harraby levelled two minutes later, another booming goal-kick up from Casson being headed on by the impressive Steven Archibald who was a constant threat all evening with his hard work and guile, with his strike partner Armstrong then able to break through the middle of the United defensive ranks and dink a neat right-footed effort over the top of a diving Gillespie and into the net from 15 yards out.
Carlisle were looking to take the lead again then in the 43rd minute when Lynch's corner was headed goalwards by Potts six yards out, the ball though hitting a combination of Casson and Symington on the line, with Stuart Moffat eventually hacking clear for the Catholics following the ensuing goalmouth scramble. The last chance of the half coming a minute into stoppage time when Potts played possession up to Madden for a right-footed 20-yard drive that disappeared well wide of Casson's far-post.
The United touchline duo of Graham Kavanagh and Eric Kinder then made a change in personnel during the interval as Gwinnutt was replaced by schoolboy left-winger Pat Brough. That move seeing Symington now go to right-back, while Potts and Todd swapped positions with Potts going back to centre-half and Todd up into midfield. The first chance of the second half though coming the way of Harraby in the 47th minute when Darren Addison headed down for Swift, with Swift though sending his left-footed 18-yard half-volley beyond Gillespie's right-hand post.
Carlisle went very close to a goal sixty seconds later however when Potts sent Madden away down the right and his cut-back from the by-line found Beck six yards out, the ball was just a inch or two behind Beck though and he had to drag his leg a little as his side-footer on his left boot pinged away off the base of Casson's near-post. Madden then choosing to do things himself with 58 minutes gone but his left-footed drive from the edge of the box was blocked away by Combe.
Five minutes later and it was Beck this time passing to Brough away down the left for a low cross in to Madden, the Irish striker once more though having his shot blocked, this time a 12-yard left-footer off the legs of Thompson. United then made another substitution in the 65th minute when one left-sided first year YTS player replaced another as Tom Berwick came on for Minor. That change now seeing O'Halloran move to left-back, Thirlwell drop into centre-half and Potts go to his third position of the night at right-back.
Midway through the half and Madden saw a right-footed drive from 15 yards out deflect behind off Swift, Berwick and Lynch then working a short corner only to see it easily cleared by Moffat. After 72 minutes Madden was fouled by Thompson who was booked by referee John Mulligan for the offence, United then flooding the penalty area with bodies for the free-kick wide on the right, only for Berwick to curl it in left-footed over everyone and out for a goal-kick at Casson's back-stick.
Five minutes later and Addison and Archibald worked an opening together on the break for the Catholics but Archibald's attempted left-footed chip over Gillespie from 22 yards out proved an easy one for the Carlisle goalkeeper to take. Harraby then making their first substitution of the game in the 78th minute when Chris Ferrie replaced Moffat. The next action in the match again being something only for the referee's notebook when Balmer was harshly booked for a foul on Todd.
Ten minutes later Symington looked to have a good opportunity when set up by Potts down the right-hand channel, Symington though driving his 15-yard right-footed effort across goal and wide of Casson's right-hand upright. To be honest United had been pressing for a lot of the game without really making the right final decision or getting their delivery correct, but that finally came with a late winner as we ticked into stoppage time. Brough sending Berwick away down the left for a low cross in which was toe-poked home by the left boot of Beck six yards out to make it 2-1.
Harsh on Harraby then to put it mildly and despite straight away chucking on Sean Bannon and Michael Hayton for respective full-backs Casey and Thompson the Catholics were unable to find a late leveller before the final whistle came three minutes in. So, while United may have retained the Cumberland Cup a massive amount of credit has to go to Harraby who more than played their part in harrassing a disjointed performance out of Carlisle, while also looking very well organised, hardworking and threatening themselves.
United line-up :
Mark Gillespie, Brandon Gwinnutt (Pat Brough 46), Dale Minor (Tom Berwick 65), Brad Potts (c), Josh Todd, Stephen O'Halloran, Jack Lynch, Paul Thirlwell, Mark Beck, Paddy Madden, Dave Symington.
Unused substitutes :
Jordan Parker (GK), Dillon Morse and Brad Staunch.
Goals - Brad Potts 35 and Mark Beck 90.
Harraby line-up :
Andy Casson, Alan Casey (Sean Bannon 90), Matt Thompson (Michael Hayton 90), Ashley Combe, Matty Bell, MIke Swift (c), Stuart Moffat (Chris Ferrie 78), Darren Addison, Steven Archibald, Dean Armstrong, Dan Balmer.
Unused substitutes :
Jordan English (GK) and Jordan Cowley.
Goal - Dean Armstrong 39.
Referee - John Mulligan.
Attendance - 347.
Reserve Team Results : click here