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United could have gone two goals to the good with a second from Madine only for the Gateshead-based frontman to unluckily rattle the Stanley crossbar. That missed fortune would cost the Cumbrians as well when some slack defending by the whole of the back-five allowed the Reds to equalise and make the scoreline 1-1 at the break. That seemed to take some spring out of Carlisle's step after the interval as Accrington seemed to be bossing the midfield, Stanley soon taking a 2-1 lead after a cross in from the right saw a home forward score at the back-post with a tap-in.
That gave the Cumbrians the get-go again though and they brought matters level almost straight away through Mike Stewardson, the winger bundling the ball over the line after Stephen Hindmarch cut in from the right and fired in a shot which the Stanley keeper was unable to hold. Carlisle pressed for the winner now and they got it with just three minutes to go through an excellent goal from youth team top scorer Dan Rayson, his fifth of the season. Vipond was again the playmaker as he fed Rayson the ball, the young striker then finishing with aplomb as he stuck a beauty of a finish into the back of the Accrington net.
So, all-in-all, a good win for the Cumbrians today, albeit not the best of performances but at least they got the win and avoided the big banana skin of being the first team not to beat Stanley this season. It was certainly a hard-fought game, as many youth team matches are, although, like their first team counterparts the Reds were a particularly physical side, helped by a referee that wasn't the strongest either. Walsall the next game up then, and the carrot of a home tie against Middlesbrough in the third round couldn't be much more of a incentive for the lads to reproduce one of their fantastic FA Youth Cup performances from last season this coming Wednesday night.
United line-up :
Grant Carson, Ashley Combe (Matthew Brown 46), Dan Wordsworth, Terry Stewart, Matthew Blake, Richie Hoban (Andy Hardman 46), Shaun Vipond, Matthew Wood, Stephen Hindmarch, Mike Stewardson (Dan Rayson 70), Gary Madine.
Results in the division this morning :
Wigan 2-2 Oldham (played Friday)
Accrington Stanley 2-3 Carlisle
Blackpool 4-2 Burnley
Preston 3-3 Rochdale
Stockport 3-2 Port Vale
Tranmere 0-0 Chester
Walsall 1-1 Macclesfield
Wrexham 0-2 Shrewsbury
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