Youth team coach Billy Barr made a couple of tactical changes to the United side today as Carlisle looked to end Burnley’s 100% record so far. Martin Graham moved up from his right-back spot to the right side of midfield with Ashley Combe filling in at right-back and Rob Bainbridge swapped places with Andy Hardman as Bainbridge played out on the left-wing with Hardman partnering Steven Hindmarch upfront.
Both sides started very brightly in what would turn out to be a keenly contested match. The game was played on a different pitch to the usual one at Frenchfields and the firmer, less bobbly pitch suited both sides as they looked to move the ball around on the ground.
On four minutes United’s left-back Matthew Blake brought down Burnley’s Ali Akbar out on the left. Akbar dusted himself down to swing the set-piece in which Blues keeper Adam Bradley did well to collect as the ball bounced just in front of him.
Three minutes later the Clarets’ number ten sent a good ball in to the far-post from the United left, Akbar let the ball bounce and hit a crisp half-volley which Graham got a good block on to concede a corner.
Sixty seconds on and the Cumbrians couldn’t have come any closer as they hit the woodwork. Bradley hit a long goal-kick down the marginal slope which Hindmarch flicked on into the path of Hardman. United’s striker took the ball on and hit a sweet left-footed strike from the edge of the Burnley box which just rose too much as it flicked off the Clarets’ crossbar and over.
On 13 minutes the Burnley number five hit a long ball through for their number nine to run onto but Carlisle’s centre-half Dan Kirkup did well to get across and cover as he booted the ball out for a throw-in.
Two minutes later Carlisle again pressed forward in a move which nearly resulted in a Burnley own-goal. Paul Gardiner, whose work-rate in the Blues’ engine-room was impressive all game, sent Hardman away down the right. Hardman should really have been selfish and had a shot at goal but he chose to hit a return ball back to Gardiner along the line of the six-yard box. The Burnley right-back managed to get in front of Gardiner but he miscued his attempted clearance and only succeeded in slicing the ball inches past his own post.
United were bossing the game now and they took the lead just a minute afterwards from a good old-fashioned goal-mouth scramble. Graham played the ball into the Burnley area which Vipond headed on towards goal. The ball was part-cleared as both Gardiner and Hardman got efforts in which were blocked in the six-yard box by a hard-pressed Clarets rearguard. The ball broke back out to Gardiner once more and his shot crept in at the near-post as Bainbridge and Burnley’s goalkeeper Mark Crossley and their left-back all challenged for it. It was hard to tell who got the final touch as the ball sneaked in but Gardiner has claimed the goal for his fourth this season overall at the club.
Two minutes later Burnley had a good opportunity which was wasted by their number ten. Their right-winger made a good run down the flank and laid the ball in to the Clarets striker. He took it in well and turned Kirkup in one movement to get a shot in, he dragged his effort though and Bradley was able to watch it go well wide of his far-post.
Shortly afterwards the Burnley number five was forced to limp off after a minute or so of treatment following a 50-50 challenge with Gardiner to be replaced by their number twelve.
On the 20 minute mark Bainbridge played a ball through to Hindmarch in the left channel. Hindmarch took a touch and played a lovely reverse pass back into Bainbridge but Crossley did well to come and out and block at the feet of Bainbridge.
Sixty seconds on and it was the Clarets who carved out a chance as the game flowed nicely from end-to-end. The Burnley substitute got away well down the right and nearly scored as he mis-hit his cross over the top of Bradley and onto the face of the United bar. The ball flew out to Akbar on the left but his powerful left-footed shot was well charged down by Graham.
From then on the game went through a quiet patch for a good fifteen minutes as both sides battled hard to take control of the midfield and keep possession in an evenly fought encounter.
After 37 minutes, following a Burnley free-kick, their number four laid the ball off nicely to their number nine on the edge of the Carlisle box. The striker got a first-time shot in but Kirkup was well positioned to stick out a leg and deflect the ball away for a corner.
Two minutes later and it was United who were just outside the Clarets’ area with a set-piece. Shaun Vipond played in Hardman who turned his marker well only to be brought down 22 yards out from the Burnley goal. Kirkup stepped up to take the free-kick but he blasted it straight into the wall.
Bang on half-time both sides had a chance to take a one goal lead into the break. Bradley hit a huge goal-kick over the top of the Burnley defence and Crossley came out to catch the ball on the bounce but only dropped it under pressure from Hardman. No other United player was on hand though to tap the ball into the empty net and the Clarets’ number six was able to clear.
Then straight from that incident Burnley won a corner. The ball was swung in well by the number twelve but the Blues’ defence managed to smuggle the ball out to the right where it was picked up the Clarets’ left-back. His cross to the back-post looked a good one but their number six couldn’t fully wrap his foot around the ball and his effort on the instep went into the Carlisle side-netting to ensure United went in one goal up at the interval.
Nine minutes into the second period the Burnley left-back played the ball into the number nine who then chested it down for Akbar 25 yards out from the United goal. It was on Akbar’s wrong foot however and that became all the more obvious when he sliced his effort a good distance wide.
It was Carlisle’s turn to break forward just two minutes later as Kirkup headed forward. The ball was then flicked on by Hindmarch to Hardman who was brought down by the Burnley number six to give the Blues a free-kick in a central position 20 yards out. Kirkup again smashed the set-piece straight into the Clarets’ wall to nearly kill one of the Burnley defenders who staggered off behind the goal for two minutes as he tried to get his breath back.
Kirkup’s powerfully hit free-kicks are a dangerous weapon for Carlisle but it would be nice to see a bit of variation once in a while from a set-piece. Perhaps the ball being shifted for someone to run onto or just a simple curled effort by Blake or Gardiner would give the opposition a bit more to think about.
Just before the hour-mark Combe brought down the pacey Akbar on the Burnley left. Akbar hit the free-kick in but like a lot of his play the final ball was poor and Graham easily cleared.
A minute later Burnley hit the United woodwork. Nicky Platt played the ball through to the number ten but fortunately for the Blues his toe-poked effort hit the inside of the Carlisle post and came flying back out straight into the arms of Bradley.
Two good names there in the Burnley youth team, with a goalkeeper called Mark Crossley and an outfield player called Nicky Platt it’s fair to say there will be a bit of ribbing about it from the other youngsters.
On 64 minutes Hindmarch was fouled by the number six out on the left. Blake swung a great free-kick in which Kirkup headed on into the danger area but there was no United player there to take advantage as Crossley had plenty of time to pick up the loose ball.
Two minutes later Burnley’s Akbar was replaced by Rob Turner as the Clarets’ looked to increase their work-rate in midfield.
It was to be a very entertaining last period of the match which saw Carlisle miss a host of good opportunities and they would be punished for their profligacy in front of goal deep into injury time.
With fifteen minutes left Bainbridge played a good pass through for Hindmarch down the right-hand side of the Burnley penalty box. Hindmarch took a touch to tee the ball up for a volley but he could only pull his effort wide of Crossley’s goal.
A minute later it was Gardiner who had an opportunity after Vipond had played him in, United’s central midfielder tried to lob the ball over Crossley from 30 yards out but again his effort drifted away from goal.
Sixty seconds on from that and the Blues were desperately unlucky not to double their lead. Bainbridge played a floated ball through to Hardman in the left-channel who smashed in an excellent half-volley only to see hit cannon off the underside of the bar and drop just the wrong side of the line from a Carlisle perspective. The shot was hit with such velocity that it bounced a good way out to Gardiner but his follow-up was rushed and flew well over.
In the 79th minute Carlisle were putting pressure on Burnley on the break as the Clarets’ pushed up searching for an equaliser. Vipond and Gardiner linked up well to play the ball into Hardman but his shot across the face of Crossley was another off-target effort for the Cumbrians.
Shortly afterwards Hindmarch made a great run down the United right and played the ball into Gardiner on the Burnley six-yard line. Gardiner got a good connection on his side-footed effort but Crossley did well to get down quickly and save the goalbound shot.
With nine minutes left the Blues brought on Gary Baker and Mike Stewardson for Rob Bainbridge and Andy Hardman respectively as Carlisle looked to bring some fresh legs on in midfield and upfront.
A minute later Hindmarch laid the ball off to substitute Stewardson on the Carlisle right but it was another wasted chance for the Blues as Stewardson’s left-footed volley was dragged across the box and out for a Burnley goal-kick.
In the last five minutes the Clarets really started to up the pressure as they searched for a late leveller. Blake brought down their number nine in the left-hand corner and the free-kick was swung in dangerously by Platt. Their number six rose well on the penalty spot to plant a firm header in on goal but it went just inches past the United far-post with Bradley rooted to the spot.
A minute before time Burnley went even closer as it was their turn to hit the frame of the goal. Turner won a good header deep in the Carlisle area which dropped down off the underside of the bar. A game of pinball then ensued before the ball found it’s way to Platt just three yards out from the United line. Platt smashed a first-time effort in which he must have thought would fly in the net only to see Bradley make an absolutely outstanding point-blank save to leave Platt with his head in his hands as the Clarets’ waited to take the corner.
It was to be a short-lived reprieve for Carlisle though as Burnley scored a contentious equaliser deep into injury time. The referee had indicated two minutes of injury time and according to the linesman on our side those two minutes had been up for about sixty seconds by the time the young Clarets scored their goal.
Burnley won a throw-in deep in the Carlisle left corner with the ball eventually coming on the bounce to the Clarets’ Turner. He hit a first-time half-volley from the right edge of the United box with his left-foot which disappeared past Bradley and into the top-left corner in an instant to break Cumbrian hearts. It was one of those shots he could have hit ten times and it would have gone miles over but today was his day and it was a stunning finish.
Like the reserves game on Wednesday afternoon there was just time to kick-off before the referee brought proceedings to a close. It was an extremely bitter pill to swallow for the youngsters who came within seconds of winning a game against a Burnley side who had won all of their previous nine league games. It was particularly harsh to concede the equaliser in the third minute of the two minutes of injury time when the linesman said the game should have already been over.
That’s four United games I’ve been to in eight days and in three of them we have conceded two goals in time added on to injury time and one in the 88th minute. It’s not exactly a run of luck I’d like to see continue to be honest and let’s hope our fortunes change, starting with the first-team away to Rushden and Diamonds on Tuesday night.
United line-up :
Adam Bradley, Ashley Combe, Matthew Blake, Matty Bell, Dan Kirkup, Shaun Vipond, Martin Graham, Paul Gardiner, Andy Hardman (Mike Stewardson 81), Rob Bainbridge (Gary Baker 81), Stephen Hindmarch.
Unused subs :
Richie Hoban and Terry Stewart.
Other results in the division this morning :
Blackpool 2-1 Bury
Macclesfield 0-4 Preston
Oldham 7-2 Chester
Port Vale 2-1 Rochdale
Shrewsbury P-P Stockport
Tranmere 6-0 Wigan
Wrexham 1-3 Walsall
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