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Add in to that mix Mike Stewardson being out with a thigh injury and it led to today's substitutes bench consisting of just right-back Jonny Blake, brother of second-year YTS left-back Matthew, and centre-half Dale Wilson, both players coming from the under-16 ranks. Still the lads started quite brightly against Bury as they won a few early corners on yet another windswept morning at a very open Frenchfields, United kicking up the slope and against the wind in the first-half on a bobbly pitch.
The visitors soon came back into it though and in the fourth minute they broke away from a Carlisle flag-kick, a shot from 20 yards out eventually being pulled wide of Blues keeper Grant Carson's near-post. That being one of few clear chances in the whole game in reality, with the match mainly fought out in the midfield area, with defences on top, and both goalkeepers in form.
Nine minutes later, after Andy Hardman had been fouled, Carlisle midfielder Shaun Vipond sent the free-kick from the left-angle of the Shakers box curling sharply across goal, only to see the Bury keeper make an excellent one-handed save as he pushed the ball out for a corner. Vipond's flag-kick in broke to Matthew Wood 15 yards out whose shot was deflected out for another corner, the next one in seeing Hardman's flicked shot at the near-post hacked behind again. Respite came for the Shakers from the next Vipond flag-kick in though as they finally managed to clear their lines.
Two minutes later Rayson touched the ball on for Hardman to fire in a low shot from 15 yards out in the right-hand channel, sadly for United it was straight at the Bury keeper though. Shortly afterwards it was Carson called in to the action at the other end, a header from ten yards after a cross in from the left finding the gloves of the Carlisle custodian. Sixty seconds later United's injury troubles deepened when centre-half Dan Wordsworth, who had earlier hurt his foot in a tackle, limped off the field to be replaced by Jonny Blake, Ashley Combe moving over from right-back to the middle of the Blues back-line.
After 19 minutes Combe gave away a free-kick on the left-wing, a close-range header at the back-stick from the free-kick in by a Bury man hitting the base of the Cumbrians post, United being able to hack the loose ball clear. Two minutes later, as the Shakers had a good spell of play, a header from eight yards out by their centre-forward was fumbled around his post by Carson. The Carlisle keeper made a tremendous save four minutes later though as a Tery Stewart headed clearance fell straight to the feet of a Bury player. The visitors youngster hammering in a well-hit 22-yard volley across goal which was in all the way only for Carson to athletically push it away with one hand for a corner.
With 38 minutes gone a Bury flag-kick swirled into the box on the wind, Carson punching it away but only straight to a Shakers player 15 yards out at the back-post. The Bury man hit his volley very well back across goal but fortunately for United Rayson was on-hand at the Carlisle near-post to head the ball off the line. The Cumbrians soon went back up the other end, with Vipond sticking a 35-yard free-kick in to the back-post after Hardman had been fouled, it was a good opportunity for Matthew Wood but he could only send his header straight into the diving arms of the visitors keeper.
Shortly afterwards some good hold-up play by Hardman saw him turn and fire in a powerful left-footed shot from 20 yards out that was destined for the bottom corner, the Bury glovesman again got across well though to push it behind. Terry Stewart heading the resultant Vipond flag-kick over the bar from six yards out. On 44 minutes Richie Hoban gave away a free-kick just outside the middle of the Carlisle 'D', the set-piece move by the Shakers was far too slow though and the Blues were able to block the shot that came in.
Just as the clock ticked onto the 45 minute mark Rayson and Hardman combined well together, Rayson's cross to the Bury back-post seeing Wood stretching to head over from eight yards out. Two minutes into first-half stoppage time a Shakers substitute, on after 30 minutes, got away well down the right to the United by-line, only to see Carson get his angles correct as he easily plucked the cross in out of the air at his near-post.
The first action of the second period saw the Blues go one goal down after 48 minutes in unfortunate circumstances, a Bury shot in from 20 yards out pinging off the legs of Stewart and completely wrong-footing Carson as it changed direction into the opposite corner of the United net. Six minutes later a Shakers corner was only cleared out to the visitors left-winger just outside the Cumbrians box, his left-footed curling effort on goal was weak though and proved an easy take for Carson.
A deflected Bury shot went the right way for the Cumbrians on 54 minutes as an effort from a well-worked short corner flew straight into the hands of Carson. Sixty seconds later the visitors winger looked all on to score as he was set free down the middle, he took too long in trying to get round the United keeper though and Stewart was able to hack the ball away from danger. Carson was called into similar action again after 57 minutes when a bad back-pass by Matthew Brown went straight to the Bury striker, the overworked Carlisle glovesman being able to make an excellent diving grasp as the visitors player looked to take the ball around him for a clear shot on a an empty net.
The Shakers were having a good spell in the game again now and just before the hour-mark their centre-forward teed himself up for a left-footed volley 20 yards out, his radar was well off though as his effort flew well over the top. United came back strongly however when Matthew Blake, after a foul on Vipond in the middle 22 yards out, saw his left-footed free-kick force the Bury keeper into conceding a corner. Hardman heading the resultant Vipond flag-kick over the bar at the near-post.
Carlisle made only their second change available to them in the 69th minute, Wilson coming on for Brown and going immediately upfront in an unfamiliar striking role. Seconds later the Bury centre-forward showed him how to get a shot in as he fired straight at Carson from 20 yards out. Wilson needed little teaching though as he showed some neat footwork in the right-hand channel only to see the Shakers keeper parry his 15-yarder out for a corner at his near-post. It was Wilson again who was in the thick of the action from the Vipond flag-kick in but he was a little wasteful as could only head send an excellent headed opportunity over the top of the bar from six yards out.
With 13 minutes to go, as the game degenerated into a midfield battle once more, a right-footed half-volley flew just over the United net from 22 yards out. That was pretty much the end of the action in front of goal now as the game exploded in an ugly last five minutes, mainly thanks to an inept referee who let far too many challenges from both sides go without bookings, or a stern word right from the very start. The bad mood coming to the boil after 86 minutes when an awful late lunge by the Bury number four on Vipond, similar to one the same player had done in the first-half went without a yellow card again.
Then, after numerous challenges that could have resulted in bookings, a Shakers player was farcically yellow-carded for a nothing handball in the United box. All of a sudden bookings were coming from all angles as the match descended into chaos, Matthew Blake and the Bury number seven the next to go into the book for some all-in-wrestling on the Carlisle by-line. That leading to some serious jawing by both sides as the referee stood by doing nothing, Vipond then getting a yellow card for a tackle which was nowhere near as bad as the two unpunished ones on him had been.
The final whistle couldn't come soon enough to be prefectly honest and it finally did after three minutes of injury time. Not a good day at the office all round really, a windy day, a bobbly pitch, and an official, who, while he made no difference to the actual result of the match, was clearly clueless as to how exert some control on proceedings. A chance to get back to winning ways for the young Blues comes next Saturday when they face a league trip to Rochdale.
United line-up :
Grant Carson, Ashley Combe, Matthew Blake, Terry Stewart, Dan Wordsworth (Jonny Blake 18), Richie Hoban, Matthew Brown (Dale Wilson 69), Matthew Wood, Shaun Vipond, Dan Rayson, Andy Hardman.
No unused substitutes.
Results in the division this morning :
Accrington Stanley 1-3 Wigan
Blackpool 0-1 Rochdale
Burnley 1-2 Preston
Carlisle 0-1 Bury
Shrewsbury 2-3 Chester
Stockport 3-1 Macclesfield
Tranmere 1-1 Port Vale
Wrexham 0-5 Walsall
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