With no second years now available to Carlisle boss Eric Kinder as, in a team that should, like Preston's did, have a majority of 18-year olds in it, United's 14 players today consisted of two 15-year olds, nine 16-year olds and then only three 17-year olds. One of the new 15-year old faces being central midfielder Kyle Dempsey who will also feature in the Cumbrians youth squad, despite only being on schoolboy forms for the end of this campaign and the whole of the 2011-12 season. The shortage of bodies for the Blues also meaning that the substitutes bench only contained three names, all of which were under-16 level players.
And it couldn't have been a much tougher assignment for the lads either as they faced up against a Preston side who have pushed themselves into title contention in the last few months following a remarkable unbeaten run of 11 wins and 2 draws from their last 13 games. After a cagey start to the game it was that young man Dempsey who got the first shot in with a right-footed 22-yard effort that deflected away behind off Ben Davies, the resultant Josh Todd corner producing nothing for Carlisle however.
Four minutes later and it was the diminutive figure of Jordan Parker that was saving United's bacon as he first made a good stop from Michael's McLellan's low left-footed shot from just inside the Carlisle box. McLellan then knocking the rebound back across for Matt Dudley to sidefoot goalwards from close range, only for Parker to make a tremendous one-handed diving reaction save away to his right. Luke Clark then setting up Dudley, via a touch off United's Adam Gill, for a low right-footed drive from ten yards out which Parker again did very well to parry behind, with Clark's corner in then only seeing Michael Lamb head over the top from the middle of the penalty area.
With 16 minutes on the clock it was the older and stronger North End attacking once more when Dave Symington headed clear from a Clark corner, the loose ball though falling straight to the left foot of Davies though who slammed a 20-yard volley narrowly wide of the Blues near-post. Carlisle then responding shortly afterwards with a Mark Beck lay-off to Symington just outside the visitors penalty area for a left-footed shot that pulled away well wide of the target.
Symington did have the radar on after 25 minutes though when he tried his luck from fully 30 yards out on his stronger right foot, his effort fairly flying into the far corner of the Preston net on the bounce to give United a 1-0 lead, although Dominic Comrie may feel that he was slightly late to get down to it. The Cumbrians then almost the architects of their own downfall two minutes later when Todd conceded possession on the Blues left only for North End's Doyle Middleton to wastefully shoot left-footed across goal and well over the angle of far-post and bar from distance.
It was then all action in the United goalmouth after 32 minutes when a Clark cross in from the left flew all the way across a crowded box with Parker having to make a good save away to his left as he saw the ball at the last minute. Clark's corner in seeing one goalmouth scramble from which Parker made a sharp stop before the boots were flying once more with the Blues eventually able to clear their lines. Carlisle then looking to get something themselves again two minutes later but Dempsey's left-footed 22-yard half-volley was well blocked away by the legs of Fred Holtom.
Back to Preston though and in the 35th minute they drew themselves level in the game when United centre-half Brad Potts found himself out of position and Middleton fed in Dudley for a right-footed shot from inside the Carlisle penalty area which arrowed into the bottom corner of the net. North End almost making it two goals in a minute when shortly after the restart McLellan curled a lovely right-footed effort from 22 yards across goal and beyond the dive of Parker only to see it ping behind off the outside of the United left-hand post.
The first-half had ended pretty tamely from then on really and the second period started quietly too, with the only thing to note being a Preston substitution during the break as the ineffective Jordan Bent (son of former Bristol City winger Junior) was replaced by Cameron Parish. Five minutes in seeing the first shot as, from a Clark ball over the top, McLellan took the pass down on his chest before firing a 15-yard drive with his right boot narrowly wide of Parker's near-post.
With 53 minutes gone Carlisle then got away on the break with Symington down the left-hand channel, his left-footed shot from just inside the North End box though being well blocked by the legs of Comrie. United then having a good little spell in the game as a skillful run forward by Todd ended in Jamie Clarey having an 18-yard right-footed drive deflect over the top off visitors skipper Seanan Clucas, once more though Todd's corner in was disappointing and from the next break in play Preston boss Jamie Hoyland made his second subsitution of the game when he brought on Naim El-Harrati for Clark.
Moments later and for North End McLellan struck in a right-footed shot from just inside the Carlisle box which flew into the side-netting at Parker's near-post off the legs of Blues centre-half Will James, El-Harrati's flag-kick delivery though not troubling the Cumbrians at all. Bang on the half-hour and Lance McGlen, who played at left-back and as captain in the absence of Steven Swinglehurst, thumped a free-kick up from just inside the Carlisle half which Beck got a header on from ten yards out which brought a relatively easy catch out of Comrie at his near-post.
A subtitution apeice then followed as United's other 15-year old, in Jack Lynch, was replaced by Tom Berwick down the left, while for Preston Ryan Croasdale came on in place of Clucas. Midway through the half and Dudley looked to be breaking away down the middle of the park but he he took his right-footed shot early from 25 yards out and only succeeded in slicing it miles high and wide of Parker's far-post. Middleton then doing almost exactly the same thing but from slightly further in shortly afterwards as the Lilywhites continued to press.
The turning point in the game then came in the 69th minute courtesy of a truly dreadful decision from referee Mr Ryan, a Demspey pass through the middle seeing Beck pretty much rugby tackled to the ground inside the penalty area by Lamb only for the offiicial to incredibly wave play on much to the utter amazement of most. So, no spot-kick for United and no red card for Lamb from an incident which even the Preston official website is now reporting as 'Beck appeared to have been pulled back in the box'.
Three minutes later and Cumbrians boss Eric Kinder had just about cooled down enough to make a change in personnel as Josh Calvert came on in central midfield for the tiring Dempsey. With 73 minutes on the clock it was Croasdale who was looking to give the Lilywhites the lead but his right-footed shot from 20 yards out was well saved by Parker, that though only being the prelude for North End finally making it 2-1 two minutes later as they broke forward from a failed Carlisle attack.
Dudley the player who thought he had scored only to see his right-footed shot from 15 yards out bounce back off the base of Parker's left-hand post, the ball then coming through plenty of bodies before McLellan pounced on it and struck a half-volley on his right boot firmly into the same corner of the goal from just inside the Blues penalty area. United though putting a nice move together three minutes later as they looked to find a quick equaliser only for Clarey, following good approach play by McGlen and Beck, to slice a ten-yard side-footer with his right instep across goal and inches wide of Comrie's left-hand post.
After 78 minutes and it was the visitors once more though when Dudley set up El-Harrati for a wasted 15-yard shot on El-Harrati's left foot from the left-hand channel which he pulled poorly wide of the target. Carlisle then making their third and final substiution during the break in play when Dillon Morse came on for Clarey, the shuffle around seeing Gill, playing out of position at right-back - although he didn't do badly there, move upfront for Clarey while defender Morse moved into the right-back spot.
Shortly afterwards and the Lilywhites were attacking again but Parish was wasteful from the middle of the Carlisle penalty area when he could only lash a right-footed shot over the top, McLellan then in the 82nd minute pea rolling in a right-footed drive from distance which only dribbled gently into Parker's outstretched gloves. What would prove to be the last real chance United had of getting a late equaliser coming as we ticked into injury time when, from a Potts pass up, McGlen pulled a low ball back in from the left which Calvert struck well with his right foot 15 yards out only to see bounce away from danger off the body of an unsuspecting Lamb.
The visitors then rubbing salt into the wounds four minutes into injury time after yet another awful decision by the officials on a day they need to forget. Dudley shielding the ball near the corner flag in the United half as he ran the clock down, it didn't though cross the touchline for a throw-in but the assistant referee gave North End one despite it not actually going out, and even it had done then it would have been a Carlisle thrown-in via the studs of Dudley, a decision that left both sets of coaching staff totally baffled.
So, play eventually would go on and shortly afterwards it was 3-1 to North End with the last kick of the game when McLellan and El-Harrati combined to play in Parish for a right-footed shot on the turn from 12 yards out that fairly flew into the net past Parker. Another defeat on the books then for the lads but it was a spirited effort from them against such an older and in-form side, Carlisle's next chance to get three points before the end of the season coming round quickly as they face Oldham at home in a 2pm kick-off on Thursday afternoon at Creighton Rugby Club.
United line-up :
Jordan Parker, Adam Gill, Lance McGlen (c), Josh Todd, Will James, Brad Potts, Dave Symington, Kyle Dempsey (Josh Calvert 72), Mark Beck, Jamie Clarey (Dillon Morse 78), Jack Lynch (Tom Berwick 62).
No unused substitutes.
Preston line-up :
Dominic Comrie, Scott Leather, Ben Davies, Seanan Clucas (c) (Ryan Croasdale 62), Michael Lamb, Fred Holtom, Jordan Bent (Cameron Parish 46), Doyle Middleton, Michael McLellan, Matt Dudley, Luke Clark (Naim El-Harrati 58).
Unused substitute :
Jordan Watson (GK).
Referee - Mr M Ryan.
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