The writing was on the wall as early as the second minute when James Vincent picked the ball up 30 yards out from the Cumbrians goal and teed himself up to thrash an unstoppable drive past Grant Carson and into the top corner of the Carlisle net to put the Hatters 1-0 up. Ashley Combe and Andy Hardman combined well down the right for the Blues moments later but Hardman's nice cross in was cleared out.
On five minutes, with County looking dangerous upfront through the, again impressive Chris Coward, a cross came in from the right which Josh Bowman could only head straight at Carson from eight yards out. Two minutes later Shaun Vipond showed some good skill for Carlisle down the right to get a ball into the middle, but there was no-one there to grab the finishing touch, then seconds afterwards United found themselves two goals behind.
A long goal-kick was touched on by Paul Turnbull to Coward over the top of the Cumbrians back-line, Coward from there able to easily round Carson and hammer the ball home into the roof of the net. Two minutes later Jacob Wood sent a deep header into the feet of Coward, but the County frontman was a little bit selfish as he sent an ambitious half-volley well wide of the United goal. The Hatters were pressing again after 12 minutes when Turnbull volleyed wide eight yards out after a ball in from the right flank.
Sixty seconds later Richie Hoban and Hardman played a one-two between themselves as the Blues looked to get going, but Hoban's shot as he cut in from the right was weak and straight at County keeper Ben Imeson. After 19 minutes a Matthew Blake long throw-in was hurled straight across to Shaun Vipond in the middle but his 22-yard half-volley was pulled wide of the far-post. United were having a better spell now and three minutes later Hindmarch set up Hardman down the right-hand channel but Hardman's 20-yard shot was dragged across goal and out for a Stockport goal-kick.
Vipond, who has taken over corner taking duties from James Earl this season, fired in a lovely flag-kick on 24 minutes which Imeson just managed to tip over his own bar. Vipond stuck the ball in again under the Hatters' crossbar but this time the ball was cleared away beyond the back-post. Two minutes later a loose ball fell to Matthew Brown but his 18-yard right-footed effort was pulled wide of the Stockport far-post.
After 27 minutes skillful left-back Tommy Rowe whipped in a cracking cross from his flank, but Turnbull wasted it as he got a poor connection on his header and sent it flying wide of the United back-stick. Five minutes later a long Carson goal-kick came over the top of the Stockport defence as Lee Williams stumbled in trying to clear, Hardman picking up on the loose ball only to fire his shot into the County side-netting.
On 35 minutes a cross in by Wood from the right was headed goalwards by Coward, Dan Wordsworth just able to scramble the ball away for a corner. Sixty seconds later Coward did score with an aerial effort as the Hatters made it 3-0, Turnbull playing Greg Tansey into the left of the box from a corner. Tansey's cross then being perfectly placed for Coward to power a firm header into the back of Carson's net from six yards out.
Mike Stewardson went close for the Blues on 38 minutes, his shot on the turn from the middle of the box, from a Vipond touch into him, being blocked by Imeson, Williams hacking the loose ball clear. Two minutes later Coward hit a 15-yarder from the right-hand channel straight at Carson, immediately from the goal-kick Hindmarch flicking the ball on to Hardman, the Cumbrians right-sided midfielder hitting a 20-yard half-volley straight down the throat of the Hatters glovesman.
The last chance of the half fell to United with a minute to go to the break, Vipond again putting in an excellent corner from the right to the back-post which saw Hindmarch challenge for a header. The ball fell straight into no-mans land seemingly only a yard or so from the line, but Matthew Blake could only lift his toe-poke over the crossbar when it seemed easier to score, leaving the Blues 3-0 down at the interval.
The first action of the second period saw County replace their left-back, with Paul Ennis coming on for Rowe. Four minutes in United seemed to be unlucky to have a goal disallowed for offside, a Vipond ball in across the face of the defence being headed home by a level-looking Hindmarch only for the assistant referee to raise his flag. Sixty seconds later Turnbull dragged a shot wide from 20 yards out as the Hatters continued to keep up the pressure.
After 52 minutes Coward tried his luck from only just outside the centre-circle, but from that range it had to be something special and it was only straight at Carson. Tansey played in Bowman three minutes later, but Bowman's shot flew well over Carson's crossbar. Shortly afterwards Ryan Crowther and Turnbull combined well to set up Tansey, the County midfielder's shot from 18 yards out flying straight into Carson's midriff.
On 58 minutes Brown sent a cross in from the right for Carlisle, but Hardman's weak header from eight yards out was easy for Imeson to collect. Play went up the other end and the Hatters won a free-kick 25 yards out, Tansey smashing a direct shot straight into the Cumbrians defensive wall. Just after the hour mark a good Matthew Blake ball in from the left saw Hindmarch challenge with Williams on the six-yard line, the ball looping up off the foot of the Carlisle striker straight into the arms of the Stockport glovesman.
United made their first change of the game in the 63rd minute when right-back Jonny Blake came on in for midfield for Hoban. Three minutes later Brown had a shot from 22 yards out in the left-hand channel, but it was always going wide of the County near-post. Vipond nearly put the Hatters 4-0 up sixty seconds later courtesy of an own-goal, a 40-yard Crowther free-kick from the right skimming off the head of the Carlisle central midfielder and onto the base of the Blues far-post, Brown hacking the loose ball away from the danger area.
The game went through a bit of a quiet spell now, the only action coming from three substitutions. Alex Elliott replacing Crowther for Stockport in the 68th minute, trialist Dan Rayson getting another run-out for the Blues as he came on for Hardman at the same time, then the Hatters Craig Roberts completing the triumvirate of changes after 74 minutes when he replaced Bowman. Sixty seconds later a Matthew Blake ball in from the left saw Stewardson's touch from six yards out fly wide of the County far-post.
With ten minutes to go Turnbull wasted a good chance for the Hatters, the Stockport striker sending a close-range header wide after an excellent cross in from the left by Elliott. Two minutes later Wood played in Tansey 20 yards out down the right-hand channel, Tansey only firing well over the Cumbrians crossbar though much to the relief of Carson.
The Hatters made it 4-0 in the 85th minute when the United defence fell asleep at a corner, Elliott and Tansey combining for Tansey to cross the ball deep into the Cumbrians box. Coward once more showing his aerial threat as he rose highest to flick the ball into the far corner of the Carlisle net from just six yards out. The well-worked goal that brought the young Hatters striker his hat-trick being a harsh lesson for the United youngsters to learn defensively.
After 86 minutes the Blues won a free-kick 35 yards out from the County goal, Blake touching the ball off for Vipond, only to see Vipond blaze his right-footed effort high, wide and not very handsome. The last chance of the game came the way of Carlisle with three minutes left, a Stewardson cross in seeing Hindmarch flick the ball on into the path of Rayson at the Stockport back-post. Rayson's close-range volley was on target but Imeson was equal to it as he made a save with his legs, the match than petering out in the closing stages into a 4-0 win for the Hatters and a bad first day at the office for the Blues youngsters.
United line-up :
Grant Carson, Ashley Combe, Matthew Blake, Terry Stewart, Dan Wordsworth, Shaun Vipond, Richie Hoban (Jonny Blake 63), Andy Hardman (Dan Rayson 68 - trialist), Matthew Brown, Mike Stewardson, Stephen Hindmarch.
Unused substitute :
Alex Mitchell.
Stockport line-up :
Ben Imeson, Jacob Wood, Tommy Rowe (Paul Ennis 46), Greg Tansey, Lee Williams, Gianluca Havern, Ryan Crowther (Alex Elliott 68), James Vincent, Chris Coward, Paul Turnbull, Josh Bowman (Craig Roberts 74).
Results in the division this morning :
Accrington 1-4 Chester
Burnley 1-2 Port Vale
Bury 2-2 Shrewsbury
Carlisle 0-4 Stockport
Preston 1-3 Walsall
Tranmere 0-3 Oldham
Wrexham 1-0 Rochdale
Macclesfield 1-2 Blackpool (played Saturday 5th August)
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