You can tell the end of the season is coming when you turn up at Creighton and you need sun tan lotion instead of a very big jacket, and that was certainly the case this morning. It was one heck of a young side that enjoyed the Spring weather for United though with all the unsuccesful second-years now having left the club, Steven Swinglehurst at Workington and Ben Mckenna down at MK Dons. That meaning the Carlisle starting eleven contained five under-16 players and six first-years, with first-year Dan Jones also sidelined with a groin injury.
It was the visitors Walsall, who beat Carlisle 2-0 at Brunton Park in the FA Youth Cup in December, who started the brighter too when skipper Jack Cresswell's corner in was side-footed narrowly wide of the Blues far-post by Joey Butlin ten yards out. Shortly afterwards though and United were looking to get something going from a Brad Potts pass up that Dave Symington headed on into the path of Mark Beck, the Cumbrians striker then trying a quick half-volley on his left foot from distance but sadly it only threatened the corner flag on the far side of the pitch.
With the ball pinging around in midfield a lot the next chance on goal didn't come until the 12th minute when Beck played in Symington for a 20-yard right-footed drive which Symington pulled narrowly wide of the far-post. Four minutes later and Jack Lynch and Beck linked up well going forward as Lynch beat two coming inside before seeing his right-footed shot from just inside the box deflect away behind off the legs of Dan Cresswell, Josh Todd's resultant corner was poor though and was easily cleared away.
Carlisle went close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute when Tom Berwick knocked in a left-footed corner which Will James glance-headed inches wide of the back-stick from six yards out. It was the visitors who did get the first goal of the match though after 26 minutes as some scrappy play down the United left suddenly found Connor Deards breaking into the Blues penalty area, his cross in then falling straight to the left instep of Kieran Morris six yards out who was able to slot the ball easily past diminutive Cumbrians stopper Jordan Parker.
After 28 minutes Symington, who seemed to be in a competition with Jack Cresswell in the first-half for who would be sent off first, was booked by referee Ian Gettings, who doesn't officiate many games at this level but had his usual good game, for a push on Butlin. Bang on the half-hour mark and it was the Saddlers attacking again when Deards crossed in for Jason Wellings ten yards out at the Carlisle back-stick, Wellings though seeing his side-footed volley well saved by Parker.
With 33 minutes on the clock Potts gave the ball away at the back and that allowed Jack Cresswell, despite a tug on his shirt from Potts, to chip a ball across to the United far-post which Butlin could only volley wide of the target with his right boot from close range. Potts then being booked before the restart of play for his shirt tug. Six minutes later and it was the visitors once more but Deards could only strike his left-footed 25-yarder wide of Parker's left-hand upright.
Jack Cresswell finally did get the booking he had been looking for throughout the opening period in the 40th minute when he did a particularly nasty chop on the back of Symington's legs. The final chance of the first-half coming just as we ticked into injury time when Jack Dobson sent Deards racing away down the left-hand channel, Parker raced off his line quickly though and did well to make a good blocked save almost at the feet of Deards ten yards out.
Blues boss Eric Kinder then made a change in personnel during the half-time interval as Jamie Clarey came on for Berwick, that seeing Symington drop back a bit as Clarey went upfront. Two minutes into proceedings and Morris played in Deards down the left with Deards looking to have it made 2-0 as he shot across goal with his left boot from 15 yards out, but with most people expecting the net to bulge the ball slid away inches wide of the far-post.
With 50 minutes gone Deards set up Mitch Botfield for a 20-yard shot that was blocked by Potts, with Jack Cresswell then laying off the rebound for Butlin to curl a right-footed effort from the edge of the Carlisle box wide of Parker's back-stick. Two minutes later and James sent a long ball over the top for United skipper Lance McGlen raiding away down the right, McGlen then cracking a powerful first-time right-footed drive narrowly over the angle of near-post and bar from distance.
Clarey, who made a difference to the Cumbrians upfront with his non-stop effort, then held up the ball well in the 54th minute before playing a good pass through for Beck, the United striker was always under pressure however and his left-footed 25-yard shot disappeared away over the top of Walsall goalkeeper Liam Maher's crossbar. The tale of the tape in the next five minutes was then a substitution apiece as Dan Cresswell limped off injured for the visitors to be replaced by Aaron Williams, and then Adam Gill came on for Lynch for United.
Right on the hour-mark and the Saddlers were attacking when Botfield played in Morris down the left-hand channel, but Morris could only slice his left-footed 20-yard strike wide of Parker's near-post, with a similar situation occuring two minutes later, but this time it was Wellings off target from a Morris pass. The Cumbrians looked to press in the 64th minute however when Symington found Todd for a cut in from the right and a right-footed shot from just outside the Saddlers 'D' which flew away over the top at speed.
Sixty seconds later and Ben George sent a cross in from the right for Walsall which Deards headed, from six yards out, off the head of James, onto the top of Parker's crossbar and out for a corner, which ended up producing nothing for the visitors. Another substitution then being made by Walsall midway through the half when Dan Griffiths came on for Wellings. Todd and Calvert then combined well for the Blues going forward in the 69th minute with Todd making a good run on only to see his right-footed 18-yard drive deflect off Botfield on its way into the gloves of Maher.
Shortly afterwards and Todd sent a ball over the top which Clarey got to before Maher on the edge of the Walsall penalty area, Clarey's touch going flying out for a goal-kick but Maher had caught Clarey in the challenge. Symington though unable to do anything with the central 22-yard free-kick as he blazed it away right-footed over the angle of far-post and bar. United then having a bit of a reshuffle in the 75th minute as McGlen went into midfield to replace the departing Josh Calvert, with substitute Dillon Morse now slotting into McGlen's vacant right-back spot.
Moments later and Dobson was in the clear at the United back-stick 15 yards out as the visitors made a quick break forward down the slight slope on what is now an excellent surface at Creighton but his 15-yard right-footed drive brought a good acrobatic save out of Parker, Dobson then belting the rebound almost into orbit as the ball came straight back to him. The Saddlers then making their final change in the game after 82 minutes when Jake Heath came on for the wasteful Dobson.
Carlisle now started to have a really good spell of pressure and sixty seconds later Symington made a strong run down the left before cutting in and thumping a right-footed 22-yard effort goalwards which Maher pushed behind at his near-post. United then keeping on going from the resultant Todd corner as Symington eventually struck in a left-footed cross-shot from just inside the Walsall box which Maher could only parry straight out in front of goal, James then on hand for Carlisle to bundle a shot home into the net from close range to make the scoreline 1-1.
With a minute to go in the game Butlin was probing at the United end of the field but his 22-yard right-footed drive was sliced away wide of Parker's far-post. Deards then the Saddler shooting shortly afterwards but his right-footed effort from just outside the Blues penalty area was a weak one and easy for Parker to take. Two minutes into a healthy four minutes of injury time and the visitors, despite being penned in by the Cumbrians, got away on the break again with Heath having a left-footed shot on goal from close range that definitely seemed to come off for James on its way over the top, only for a United goal-kick to surprisingly be awarded.
Deep into injury time the last chance to find a winner in the game coming the way of Carlisle when Symington once more cut in on his right foot from the left only to see his powerful right-footed strike from 22 yards out be well pushed away by Maher at his near-post. So, a point for United at least ends a six-game losing streak with the second-half performance pretty encouraging considering such a young side was on the field. Next week comes another home game too as the Blues face a tough looking match against Preston at Creighton Rugby Club back at the usual kick-off time of 11am.
United line-up :
Jordan Parker, Lance McGlen (c), Dale Minor, Josh Todd, Will James, Brad Potts, Josh Calvert (Dilllon Morse 75), Jack Lynch (Adam Gill 59), Mark Beck, David Symington, Tom Berwick (Jamie Clarey 46).
No unused substitutes.
Walsall line-up :
Liam Maher, Ben George, Malvind Singh Benning, Jack Cresswell (c), Dan Cresswell (Aaron Williams 55), Jack Dobson (Jake Heath 82), Jason Wellings (Dan Griffiths 67), Mitch Botfield, Joe Butlin, Connor Deards, Kieran Morris.
No unused substitutes.
Refereee - Ian Gettings.
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