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After four minutes the Wrexham centre-forward had a shot blocked by Blues centre-half Terry Stewart. Two minutes later Matthew Wood gave away a free-kick 25 yards out on the left-angle of the Carlisle box, the visitors centre-half side-footing the resultant set-piece well over. On 12 minutes Richie Hoban won a free-kick for the Cumbrians as he had to jump to evade a two-footed lunge, Vipond sending the set-piece in to the back-post. It was a great chance for Wood running in but he mis-timed his header six yards out and sent it flashing wide of the back-stick.
Six minutes later Wood made a great run down the right past the Wrexham left-back, then cutting the ball back from the by-line. Hoban was just unable to convert the chance though and the Red Dragons keeper was able to collect the loose ball. After 21 minutes Matthew Blake sent a free-kick up from his own half into the feet of Matthew Brown. The Carlisle right-midfielder turning well 30 yards out and running in to fire an ambitious looking left-footed shot which flew wide of the Wrexham goal.
The Blues took the lead with 25 minutes on the clock, Hoban sending Mike Stewardson away down the right. The Carlisle frontman running down to the by-line and cutting the ball back for Hoban who had continued his run into the Wrexham box. Hoban hitting his ten-yard side-footed effort across the Red Dragons keeper and into the net off the base of the far-post. Two minutes later, as the Cumbrians played some good football down the slope, Vipond aimed a ball into Stewardson down the right. The chance looked gone but the visitors left-back completely missed the ball and let Stewardson in to cut towards goal and fire a 16-yarder straight at the Wrexham glovesman.
Just before the half-hour mark an awful throw out by the Red Dragons keeper saw Blake attack the ball 40 yards out. Blake trying to smash a first-time half-volley in from there, but he had to rush it and it sliced wide of the far-post. Three minutes later Vipond was brought down for a free-kick for about the twentieth time in the half, Vipond then stepping up sharply to take a quick shot on goal with his right foot as the keeper was lining up his wall. The young glovesman managed to get across and get a hand on the effort, but he was lucky to see the ball pop up straight back into his hands as Hoban was sniffing for a tap-in.
After 34 minutes some lovely football between Blake, Hoban and Vipond saw Hoban play a great ball inside the Wrexham right-back for Dan Rayson to run onto. Rayson chipping a left-footed cross over to the back-post which the keeper initially flapped at but managed to collect at the second attempt. The last action of the half came in the 42nd minute when Vipond sent a "Sheringham corner" across to Brown on the edge of the Wrexham box. His shot from there was very well kept down but the goalbound effort hit the back of the Red Dragons centre-half and looped up straight into the hands of the keeper.
With the advantage of the slope and the wind now in Wrexham's favour the second-half was far more bitty as Carlisle's attacking dried up a little and the Red Dragon's had more of the possession, although they never looked like doing much with it. The Blues still had the first chance after the interval though on 48 minutes when Stewardson crossed in from the right and Rayson headed over from six yards out at the back-stick.
A minute later Terry Stewart fouled the Wrexham centre-forward, his strike partner sending the 25-yard free-kick with his right foot straight at Carson. Right from the long goal-kick the Blues won a corner, Vipond again playing it across to Brown. This time his shot was heading wide of the near-post only for a Wrexham boot to send it flying towards the opposite corner, the visitors keeper then making an excellent save as he managed to dive across and push the ball around his near-post for a corner. On 62 minutes, after a quiet spell in the game, the Wrexham striker broke away down the right and played the ball into the feet of the central-midfielder. His lay-off to the other Red Dragons frontman seeing a low 22-yarder fly in but only straight at Carson.
Six minutes later Brown tried a left-footer from range but it was an easy save for the visitors glovesman. On 70 minutes the Wrexham centre-half sent a powerful ten-yard header goalwards from a corner, Hoban doing well to boot the ball off the line at the United near-post. A shot from the loose ball by the right-back from 20 yards out then being easily cleared by Stewardson.
The visitors hadn't looked likely to find an equaliser but they grabbed one in the 72nd minute following some dodgy refereeing and indecisive home defending. A long goal-kick up saw Vipond seem to be pushed as he challenged for the ball in the air, the young Blues making the fatal mistake of hesitating as they waited for a free-kick to be given. Play went on though and that allowed the nippy Wrexham striker to race clear, as the ball bounced on over the top, and fire in an 18-yard half-volley across Carson and into the far bottom corner of the United net.
That goal spiced things up a bit for sure as both sides went in with some racey challenges as the referee allowed the game to flow a little bit too much. Carlisle were now having to try and find a winner again though and they went close in the 78th minute when a Wood cross from the right saw Blake head over the angle of post and bar at the back-stick from eight yards out. Sixty seconds later a low Blake ball in from the left-touchline found the feet of Rayson 12 yards out from the Wrexham goal. The opportunity coming to volley the ball goalwards with the outside of his right boot as it bounced up, the effort lacked pace though and the visitors keeper was able to pounce on the ball with both hands.
With ten minutes left to go in an entertaining match the Wrexham number five/centre-half was booked as he brought down Stewardson 22 yards out on the left-angle of his own penalty area. Blake took the free-kick quickly and tried to push it down the left-hand side of the defensive wall for Hoban to run onto but the pass was overhit and only resulted in a goal-kick for the visitors. The last chance for either side to grab all three points came in the third minute of injury time after the Red Dragons substitute had fouled marked-man Vipond 40 yards out. Vipond sent the free-kick in which the keeper flapped at as he looked to punch, the ball eventually being cleared after a little bit of a goalmouth scramble, and that was that as the whistle went on a 1-1 draw which the Blues just about shaded.
United line-up :
Grant Carson, Ashley Combe, Matthew Blake, Dan Wordsworth, Terry Stewart, Matthew Brown, Shaun Vipond, Matthew Wood, Dan Rayson, Mike Stewardson, Richie Hoban.
Unused substitutes :
Mark Graham, Jonny Blake and Dale Wilson.
Results in the division this morning :
Accrington Stanley 1-2 Shrewsbury (played on Friday)
Blackpool 1-1 Walsall
Bury 1-1 Macclesfield
Carlisle 1-1 Wrexham
Oldham 1-0 Chester
Rochdale 2-1 Port Vale
Stockport 2-4 Wigan
Tranmere 4-0 Preston
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