|
It was the same Carlisle line-up that lost out 1-0 to Stoke on Tuesday night in the FA Youth Cup, and United started brightly too as in the second minute Manny Richardson played in Ryan Bowman down the right-hand channel. Bowman's 12-yard right-footed shot from a tight angle though going across goal before pinging away off the base of the far-post.
Three minutes later and a Matty Osmond free-kick in from the left wing, following a Curtis Woods foul on former Burnley under-16 midfielder Ben McKenna, saw Steven Swinglehurst flattened by Clarets goalkeeper Dan MacDonald as the Claret touched the ball behind. Amazingly no penalty was given though and a resultant Osmond corner found Richardson from close range having his header hacked away off the line by visitors skipper Dominic Knowles.
With 12 minutes on the clock Richardson was looking for a spot-kick as he went to ground a little too easily under a challenge from Tom Anderson as the pair chased a Bowman flick-on, play being rightly waved on this time. Seven minutes later and McKenna put a cross in from the right which flicked off the head of Osmond in the middle of the box as it disappeared away from danger.
The first sight of goal for the Clarets came in the 22nd minute from ex-Livingston youngster Joe McKee, the Scot making a run forward only to see his right-footed drive from distance fly straight at Mark Gillespie. Sixty seconds later and Woods, who put in an excellent delivery from the right all game, stuck in a cross which Joe Jackson, six yards out, headed down into the ground and amazingly up and over the crossbar off a firm part of the pitch.
Michael King then for Burnley in the 26th minute sticking a ball in from the left which Jackson took down well only to completely miss his kick as he looked to shoot. Liam Newman though hitting a right-footed 20-yarder two minutes later which flew into Gillespie's side-netting at his near-post. Knowles and Woods then putting shots from outside of the box wide of the target in the following few minutes as the Clarets looked to up the pace in the game.
Swinglehurst then had to make a quick block on McKee's 20-yard drive in the 34th minute before sixty seconds later Jackson made a nice turn down the left-hand channel, his left-footed shot from 12 yards out though going across goal and only inches wide of Gillespie's back-stick. A comedy moment, although not for Richardson, coming in the 38th minute when from a Bowman touch he worked a good shooting opportunity only to miss his kick, fall on the ball and concede a free-kick for handball.
A minute before the break and a chipped ball into the Carlisle box from McKee saw James Taylor flick a header over the top before United had a couple of chances before we hit the half-time whistle. The first seeing right-back James Wood make a rare foray forward as he nicked the ball past MacDonald, the angle was horribly tight on the by-line though and trying to run in on goal his pass into the middle was crowded out by a stack of Clarets.
The second being more of a half-chance as a cross in from the left by Osmond went inches over the head of Bowman before MacDonald caught it, dropped it and then fell on it at his far-post. MacDonald a good shot stopper for Burnley but quite a bit of a flapper reticent to come off his line for balls stuck into his box.
Carlisle never really came out of the traps after the interval and in the 49th minute Jake McEneaney fed Newman in for a right-footed shot over the top from 22 yards out. Ben Richards-Everton then having a chance for the Blues two minutes later but, leaning back just beyond the penalty spot, he could head a McKenna ball in over the crossbar.
King, from a Newman pass, then struck his long range effort way too high in the 54th minute but you were pretty much waiting for a Burnley goal to come and that did happen three minutes later. Newman laying off possession for McKee, who had been allowed far too much time in midfield all morning, to strike a well placed 22-yard right-footed shot across goal and into the far top corner of the Carlisle net.
With 65 minutes on the clock McKenna stuck a cross in from the right which Osmond missed his kick on, Richardson though picked up the pieces eight yards out only to see his shot well blocked away from the target by Stephen Edwards. The Clarets going up the other end three minutes later as Newman got on the end of a loose ball in the United 'D' only to lean back and strike his right-footed drive way too high.
There was plenty of action in the Carlisle box on 69 minutes when McKee, from a Newman pass, saw his right-footed 15-yarder booted away from the goalmouth by Jamie Cleary, play then coming back out to Newman who was unlucky to see his left-footed shot from the edge of the 'D' ping back across goal off the inside of the far-post. Swinglehurst then whacking the ball out for a corner from which Anderson headed wide McKee's delivery in.
The Blues failed to take a fantastic chance to make it 1-1 just seconds later when Richardson was clear through the middle on the back of a Richards-Everton pass up. One-on-one with MacDonald though the Burnley stopper won the battle as he saved well one handed from Richardson's side-footer inches inside the box.
Carlisle boss Eric Kinder then made a double substitution in the 72nd minute as he looked to get back into the game, Kieran Cahill and Mark Sloan coming on for Richards-Everton and Osmond respectively. Cahill going over into his usual left-back spot meaning that Swinglehurst came inside to cover for the absence of Richards-Everton, while Sloan was simply a straight swap for Osmond on the left.
The game was all over after 75 minutes for United though when another good cross in from the right by Woods found King able to head home at the back-post from, at the very most, two yards out. Carlisle trying to then reply quickly and make it 2-1 only for Sean Law's eight-yard header from a McKenna header to hit the back of an unsuspecting Knowles, and the chance was gone.
Newman made a good challenge on Cleary in the 79th minute but he paid for it as he injured his lower leg in the process, the Clarets centre-forward limping off to be replaced by David Lynch. A tactical change then coming for the visitors just sixty seconds later as Ross Wilson took the place of King, Blues skipper Liam Davison getting in on early on Lynch after 83 minutes as he fouled the Burnley man and was yellow carded for his troubles.
Knowles was the next in the book for a dreadful two footed lunge on Wood sixty seconds later which would more than likely have seen red at first-team level. Wood getting up to stick the free-kick in from the halfway line which was only cleared away by Anderson to Law 25 yards out, Law though seeing his left-footed half-volley easily caught under his crossbar by MacDonald.
After 87 minutes Richardson sent a good pass through the middle for Bowman to race onto although the end result was an almost an action replay of the earlier Richardson chance in the same position, Bowman this time the Blue denied by the left hand of MacDonald. McKenna then seeing his right-footed close range half-volley well blocked away by McEneaney as play went on from the corner McKenna had initially taken.
The last opportunity for another goal in the match coming three minutes into a very hefty five minutes of injury time as we were all just keen to get away and defrost our toes. Richardson booked for a mixture of a foul on Lynch and then dissent 22 yards out, McKee's right-footed free-kick from there though was weak and easy for Gillespie to take at his far-post.
So a rotten eight days for the young Blues as they have lost three games, exited two cups and their faint hopes of a title challenge have gone. There is no doubt that when our midfield and strikeforce work hard then we are a top five side in this division, if they don't then we aren't, it's a simple as that. A few of the second years culpable of a little lack of effort, which really isn't going to help their professional contract chances as we go into the Christmas break.
United line-up :
Mark Gillespie, James Wood, Steven Swinglehurst, Ben Richards-Everton (Kieran Cahill 72), Jamie Cleary, Sean Law, Liam Davison (c), Ben McKenna, Manny Richardson, Ryan Bowman, Matt Osmond (Mark Sloan 72).
Unused substitutes :
Jon Ball (GK), James Bonner and Phil Towler.
Burnley line-up :
Dan MacDonald, Curtis Woods, Jake McEneaney, Dominic Knowles (c), Tom Anderson, Stephen Edwards, James Taylor, Joe McKee, Joe Jackson, Liam Newman (David Lynch 79), Michael King (Ross Wilson 80).
Unused substitutes :
Josh Cooke (GK) and Ed Williams.
Referee - Chris Backhouse (Carlisle).
Youth Team Results : Click here
Youth Team Squad : Click here
Youth Team Table : Click here