United Youth 0-4 Rochdale Youth

A cold February morning at Frenchfields

The United lads struggled throughout in a bitty match that was spoiled by a strong first-half wind against the Cumbrians and an appalling refereeing perfomance. The official letting far too many poor tackles and niggly challenges go from both sides early on which allowed the match, especially in the latter stages, to too often degenerate into a game of bad tackles and petty squabbles between the teams.

Playing down the slight slope but against a freezing cold wind the Blues did actually get the first look-in but, in a sign of things to come, it was poor refereeing that took the chance away. Adam Bradley hit a long goal-kick over the top which was chased down by Rob Bainbridge, striker Bainbridge seemed to be clearly tugged back by ‘Dale centre-half Krystian Bowden but the official waved away the United protests as the ball ran through to Danny Woodhall in the opposition goal.

It was the ‘Dale on the top though, as it would be for most of the game, with the visitors penning a Carlisle side in on the wind who were unable to hold the ball up upfront against a strong and physical Rochdale back-line. In the 12^th minute right-back Mario Bryan hit a cross in from the right corner which was missed on the bounce by Carlisle’s Martin Graham, the ball breaking to Theo Coleman who blazed over from 15 yards out.

Three minutes later, from a Coleman throw, United right-back Ashley Combe headed the ball straight up in the air under pressure, ‘Dale striker Matty Williams hitting his resultant volley from 20 yards out sailing over Bradley’s crossbar. Sixty seconds on and the visitors went close again, when after a Bryan cross, Callum Warburton sent a cracking left-foot half-volley inches wide of the Cumbrians far-post from fully 20 yards out. Shortly afterwards Matt Kay sent a back-post header over from a Coleman corner as Rochdale stayed on top of the Blues.

After 21 minutes Carlisle got their first effort in on the visitors goal. Shaun Vipond won the ball in midfield and played in Mike Stewardson down the left-wing. Stewardson cut inside Bryan and tried his luck from the edge of the ‘Dale box but his right-footed shot was weak and Woodhall was able to gather it easily at his near-post.

Two minutes later a Kay throw-in pinballed around the United box as both sides challenged for possession, the ball eventually falling to Williams six yards out at the back-post. He must have thought his shot was in all the way only for Bradley to react quickly and stick out a hand to somehow deflect the effort around the post for a corner.

In the 27^th minute Graham did well on the right to beat two and lay the ball across to Hoban but the central midfielder’s effort went straight down the throat of Woodhall from 20 yards out. It was a close escape for the Blues eight minutes later though when Vipond brought down Kay 40 yards out on the right-hand side, the referee, in perhaps his one correct decision of the afternoon, playing the advantage rule. The ball found it’s way across to Warburton who hit a very powerful drive from long-range, which luckily for the Cumbrians, flew, at real pace, straight into the grateful arms of Bradley.

With 37 minutes gone Bainbridge got a boot on the nose from Bryan for his troubles when he put his head down low for the ball in the left-hand corner. Vipond put the free-kick in but it was easily cleared by Coleman at the near-post. Two minutes later, in Carlisle’s only real spell of pressure in the game, Warburton brought down Graham on the right-wing 35 yards from the ‘Dale goal, Vipond again swung the free-kick in which Kirkup headed over the bar from ten yards out.

Four minutes before the break a Joe Thompson ball up to the box bounded on to his strike-partner Williams with the wind behind it. Williams tried a hooked right-foot half-volley from eight yards but it was straight at Bradley. Just as the young Blues were thinking they had seen off the bad conditions in the opening period Rochdale took the lead only sixty seconds later.

Coleman turned nicely on the edge of the box and got in a shot on his left-foot from 15 yards out on the left-hand side which Bradley half-saved as the effort squirmed under his outstretched body. The ball bounced high in the air towards goal and was more than likely over the line before Williams headed in to make sure under pressure from Blake to set the visitors on the way to what would prove to be a resounding victory.

The second-half got underway on what felt like a completely different day, the wind that had been in Carlisle faces for the opening 45 minutes dropping to nothing more than a slight breeze for the rest of the game. Two minutes in though and the Blues had the first opportunity, Hindmarch volleying straight at Woodhall from the edge of the box after a poor Bryan header away following a long Kirkup ball upfield.

Four minutes later and the game was all but up for United as the visitors made it 2-0. A long cross in by left-back Michael McDonald, who incidentally looked about 25 years old, came in to Thompson who cleverly controlled it before laying it off to the unmarked Coleman just eight yards out. From that range Bradley had little chance as the ‘Dale midfielder drove his shot powerfully underneath him and into the back of the net.

The game was certainly up for the Blues in the 55^th minute when the visitors raced into a 3-0 lead. A Warburton corner in from the right was challenged for between United’s Terry Stewart and Bowden, the ball finding Williams unmarked just three yards from goal. He hit his right-foot shot quickly on the turn and before any of the Carlisle players could react the ‘Dale were busy celebrating their third goal.

Bang on the hour mark the Blues made their first substitution bringing on Matthew Wood for Combe, three minutes later ‘Dale did the same as Clive Moyo-Modise, who featured for the visitors first-team against the Cumbrians on New Years Eve, replaced Thompson.

The Cumbrians had a little spell of play again halfway through the second period, Vipond being brought down by Bowden. Vipond tried to put the free-kick into the box but it was blocked by a defensive wall which seemed to be about five yards away. Shortly afterwards a Blake long-throw was flicked on by Kirkup to the back-post where Hindmarch did well to hold the ball up before getting a shot in which was blocked away for a corner.

Kirkup was certainly in the thick of the action and sixty seconds later he hit a free-kick in from 25 yards out after Vipond had been fouled by Warburton. His blasted effort struck the wall and in trying to stretch for the rebound the United skipper brought down Kay and received a stern talking to from the official, which was something the referee should have been doing with all the players for the previous 70 minutes.

After 72 minutes Coleman cut in from the left and hit a fierce shot with his right foot from 20 yards out which Bradley did well to parry away from the Carlisle goal, Blake hoofing the ball clear for a ‘Dale throw. That was the signal for the second substitution by Cumbrians coach David Wilkes as Matthew Brown came on for Richie Hoban.

Two minutes later Kirkup was booked by the official as the game started to turn nasty due to the ineffective refeering, letting far too many things go in the first-half was now causing the referee big problems as various players started to look for each other rather than the ball. Warburton, who seemed to give away every Rochdale free-kick without ever being spoken to, fouled Combe out on the Carlisle right. Blake hit the set-piece up into the area and a frustrated Kirkup went in a little bit late on Woodhall in the visitors goal as the ball hung in the air, the official yellow-carding Kirkup for his troubles.

In the 78^th minute it was clear to see why the Blues were struggling to get a foothold in the game as centre-half Dan Wordsworth came on in a direct swap for Terry Stewart. That meant, against a big and physical Rochdale outfit, United finished the game with five schoolboys, two first year YTS and four second year YTS lads on the field.

Shortly afterwards a clearly tired Hindmarch was the next Carlisle player to go into the referee’s notebook for a late tackle on Bryan on the half-way line. It was no worse a challenge then seven or eight other ones that had gone before and clearly highlighted the poor officiating that both sides, and coaches, were frustrated with.

After 85 minutes Kay fouled Vipond in the centre-circle, who seemed to be brought down by the ‘Dale players for most of the game. Graham hit the set-piece up which Woodhall inexplicably dropped in an aerial challenge with Blake, Kirkup tried to get a shot in but the ‘Dale keeper was quick to block it and the chance was gone.

With just three minutes left on the clock the Blues went 4-0 down after a ferocious strike from Rochdale central midfielder Michael Murray. Williams held the ball up well before laying it back to Murray 20 yards from goal. Bradley got a fingertip on the effort to send it crashing off the underside bar and down onto the line, the power of the drive sending it bouncing back onto the underneath of the woodwork and down again. This time though Bowden had got in on the rebound and was able to nod the ball over the line from an inch out at the very most.

That was the end of the action on a day where it was a tough lesson to learn for some of the young United players, injuries certainly aren’t helping their cause in the league campaign, especially when they all seem to be happening to the more experienced lads. After such a hectic time for some of them, I’m sure they’ll be glad to have an easier seven days next week.