United’s reserves shot themselves to the top of the Pontin’s Holiday League Division One West table tonight with a 2-1 victory over Rochdale’s second string in a poor encounter.
The Blues started brightly with a forward line of Glenn Murray and Derek Holmes looking to cause the Dale defence problems. The participation of the Lanark-born Holmes for the whole 90 minutes brings into question whether United player-manager Paul Simpson will play him from the start in the first-team match away to Oxford just 48 hours from now.
Carlisle’s quick start paid dividends for them as early as the sixth minute when they took the lead through Holmes. Paul Arnison, playing in central midfield, sprayed a good ball out to Murray on the left-wing who floated a good ball into the Dale box for Holmes to run onto. The big striker picked his spot and buried a downward header back across Rochdale keeper Danny Woodhall and into the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards out.
Dale could have levelled the game just four minutes later through Paul Derrick as he headed a good close-range chance wide from a Gary Brown cross. The away side came even closer shortly after from another set-piece which Arnison had given away on the right side following a foul on Rochdale striker Paul Tait. Jamie Clarke swung the ball in and Tait powered a header towards goal only to see Arnison clear the ball off the line with his right boot.
In the 18th minute Murray headed well over from a Simon Hackney corner then three minutes later United seemed to dodge a bullet. A header by Clarke inside the box struck Blues left-back Matty Bell on the arm but none of the Dale players shouted for a penalty and referee Nolan waved play on.
United went close again in the 26th minute as, following good play between Pete Ferris and Lee Andrews, Holmes touched wide under pressure from six yards out from Ferris’ cross. Four minutes later Dale centre-half Nathan Wood headed over from a Clarke ball in as Rochdale looked to up the pressure, it was a good chance missed by Wood who had run into the box completely unmarked.
On 37 minutes Dale’s equaliser came and it was an appalling one defensively from a United perspective. A hopefull ball over the top from Lee Cartwright caused a terrible mix-up between Simon Grand and Blues keeper Anthony Williams. The two ran straight into each other on the edge of box with Grand only managing to head the ball over Williams and into an empty space in front of goal.
Dale’s Matthew Williams gleefully picked up on the opportunity and easily slid the ball home despite Bell managing to get the end of his boot on it.
Three minutes before the interval Holmes was unlucky to see his goal-bound shot from 15 yards out hit Murray on the back after the big Scot had turned well and made room for himself on the edge of the box. Two minutes later it was Murray’s turn to have bad luck from a similar position. The Maryport-born striker skinned two Dale defenders superbly on the 18-yard line and ran in on goal, picking his spot, he side-footed towards goal with his right boot but his effort pinged out off the base of the post. From the rebound Holmes and Hackney were unable to get a goal attempt in as they battled for the ball at the near-post and the chance was gone.
Murray wasted another good opportunity on the stroke of half-time from another United set-piece following a foul on him by Cartwright. The ball was laid into the near-post by Hackney from the right-hand side but Murray could only head well over to send the sides in level at the break.
The second half was poor fair and Dale made a change only two minutes after the interval when Derrick was replaced by Matthew Kay. Derrick had gone down injured on the halfway line in an incident which one spectator nearby in the B Stand, who seemed worse the wear for drink, described as : "You went down like a bag of shite and got your arse wet for nothing ."
On 53 minutes Arnison took a pot-shot from 20 yards out after a lay-off from Holmes but his well-driven attempt across goal flew just wide of the far-post. The game lost it’s way from that point on as both sides struggled to keep hold of the ball and possession was lost all too easily.
Bang on the hour-mark some good play between Murray and Andrews saw the ball pushed into the box for Ferris to run onto but Woodhall collected well at the young midfielder’s feet. Three minutes later Murray was denied as he ran through on goal by a superb last-ditch tackle from Cartwright inside the box, it was an excellent challenge by the Dale centre-half who had to time it perfectly to avoid conceding a spot-kick.
After 66 minutes Holmes blazed a 20-yarder wide across goal with his left-foot as United, at least, looked for the winning goal. Blues substitute Paul Gardiner blasted over from the edge of the box four minutes later after good work by Holmes and Andrews as Rochdale struggled to get out of their own half.
United’s best chance of the second period so far came in the 71st minute through Holmes. Dillon played a nice ball to Murray who battled his way to the by-line and crossed in to the six-yard line where Holmes was lurking. The Scot thought he had side-footed easily home only for Wood to brilliantly clear off the line, the ball rebounded out to Hackney but the young winger could only blaze over the bar from 15 yards out with his peg-leg right foot.
In the 79th minute Holmes headed high and wide from a Hackney corner after Woodhall had flapped at a cross from replacement Martin Graham on the right. Three minutes later Kay whipped a good ball in from the left in a rare Dale attack but Lloyd Rigby could only end up in a heap on the floor as his overhead kick sailed well over as the game looked to likely to end level. All that changed though just two minutes after as United finally found the goal they had been pressing for.
Kevin Gibbins hacked down Gardiner on the edge of his own box and Hackney stepped up to take the set-piece and hit a shot on goal. The ex-Woodley Sports wideman curled his attempt goalwards with his trusty left foot and wheeled away in delight as the ball took a wicked deflection off the Dale wall, wrong-footed Woodhall and ended up in the back of the Rochdale net. It brought a brief round of applause from the 159 strong crowd as most of the fans looked to get home and out of the cold.
The final five minutes were played out without incident as United held on easily for the three points which see them go back to the top of the table.
United line-up :
Anthony Williams, Lee Andrews (Martin Graham 74), Simon Grand, Dan Kirkup, Matty Bell, Paul Arnison, Dan Dillon, Pete Ferris (Paul Gardiner 61), Simon Hackney, Derek Holmes, Glenn Murray (Andy Hardman 74).
Subs not used : Adam Bradley and Shaun Vipond.
Rochdale line-up :
Danny Woodhall, Michael Murray, Rory McArdle, Kevin Gibbins, Nathan Wood, Lee Cartwright (Lloyd Rigby 69), Gary Brown, Jamie Clarke (Joe Thompson 65), Paul Derrick (Matthew Kay 47), Paul Tait, Matthew Williams.
Sub not used : James McDonagh.
Other results in the division this week :
Monday - Shrewsbury 2 v 2 Tranmere
Wednesday - Burnley 0 v 0 Preston, Wrexham 1 v 1 Chester.