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Going into the game Carlisle were at full strength with recent first-team substitutes Tom Aldred and Jonny Blake back in the fray. The Blues actually having the first chance of the game as early as the opening minute when, after the visitors had given the ball away, Andy Cook dragged a 25-yard right-footer wide of the Alex' near-post.
Three minutes later Crewe right-back Danny Shelley cut in from his flank, an area that Carlisle would struggle to defend on both sides of the pitch all night, only to slice his left-footed drive from 25 yards out well wide of United goalkeeper Alex Mitchell's far-post.
The visitors did take the lead though after 19 minutes when a well-hit ball in from left-back Matt Tootle was perfectly placed for midfielder Matt Lund to run in on unmarked and head firmly past Mitchell from just six yards out. Mitchell then making a tremendous double save shortly afterwards when, following Tootle's cross in, he first blocked Michael Jackson's close-range shot before reacting extremely sharply to block Jackson's next effort from the rebound.
Crewe were attacking again in the 25th minute but Alex Titchener's 15-yard left-footed shot from the right-hand channel flew straight into the arms of Mitchell. Bang on the half-hour mark and it was the dangerous Titchener once more, Mitchell doing very well this time to dive across and push his right-footed shot from 22 yards out away for a corner, the resultant flag-kick from Alex' skipper Ben Marshall coming to nothing.
The Cumbrians couldn't really get anything going at all on their off night as they continued to squander possession, Connor Tinnion though nicking the ball off the toes of Cheyenne Dunkley before firing a left-footed 22-yarder wide of the Alex' near-post.
Four minutes before the break the last chance of a relatively dull first-half coming the way of United. Chris McDougall's pass in from the right to Cook seeing Carlisle's top scorer shoot right-footed into Crewe goalkeeper Daniel Platt's side-netting at the near-post from 15 yards out.
The first chance after the interval was United's too, Simon Lakeland, Blake and Liam Davison all combining as a cross came in from the right, Cook though missed his first kick before shooting left-footed on the turn straight at Platt from ten yards out. The Alex' making the first substitution of the night two minutes later when the limping Jackson was replaced by Charlie Ager.
The Railwaymen trying to mix things up in the 56th minute only for Shelley's long-range right-footed shot, from Marshall's corner straight to him, to fly well over Mitchell's crossbar. A Carlisle cross in from Tinnion on the left in the 65th minute being the next action of note, Cook flicking the ball on nicely for Shaun Law 12 yards out, Law though seeing his shot quickly blocked by Crewe centre-half Kelvin Mellor.
Cumbrians boss Eric Kinder made his first change in personnel after 70 minutes when John Seaton came on for Law and United moved to more of a 4-4-2 formation. Davison having the next chance for Carlisle two minutes later when his right-footed shot from just to the right of the Crewe 'D' was pulled across goal and wide of the Alex' far-post.
With 15 minutes to go another change came for the Railwaymen when Jon Stephens replaced Matt Freeman, the visitors then all but wrapping the tie up sixty seconds later. A deep free-kick up from Harry Davis seeing Mitchell coming out for the punt up but fail to get there, Dunkley then able to hack the ball into the middle where Titchener was on hand to pounce as he hammered home with his right boot from close range.
Before the kick-off Ryan Bowman came on for Lakeland as the Blues went to three at the back as they were now searching for two goals to force extra-time. Marshall going into the book shortly afterwards for a late tackle on one of Carlisle's three remaining defenders, that being Northern Irishman Jamie Cleary.
With ten minutes to go Blake's 22-yard right-footed shot, from Tinnion's pass, went straight at Platt, that being pretty much Blake's last action of the night as he was replaced by Mark Sloan five minutes later. Crewe then making the scoreline a rather harsh looking 3-0 on 88 minutes. A Lund pass on the break allowing Titchener to fire an excellent right-footed finish from the right powerfully across Mitchell low into the far corner from 15 yards out.
Carlisle though did grab a deserved consolation goal a minute into injury time when Matt Duffy's cross in from the left saw Cook outjump Platt only two yards out to head easily home into an empty net. So, no doubt the lads will be gutted after tonight, but the season continues with the league and League Cup still to be won, they must be the focus now for the lads to help them forget the disappointment of this evening.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell, Simon Lakeland (Ryan Bowman 76), Matt Duffy, Tom Aldred (c), Jamie Cleary, Jonny Blake (Mark Sloan 85), Shaun Law (John Seaton 70), Liam Davison, Andy Cook, Chris McDougall, Connor Tinnion.
Unused substitutes :
Mark Gillespie (GK) and Steven Swinglehurst.
Crewe line-up :
Daniel Platt, Danny Shelley, Matt Tootle, Harry Davis, Kelvin Mellor, Cheyenne Dunkley, Matt Freeman (Jon Stephens 75), Matt Lund, Alex Titchener, Ben Marshall (c), Michael Jackson (Charlie Ager 52).
Unused substitutes :
Chris Rowntree, Chris Peel and Lewis Davenport.
Referee - Mr P Brown.
Attendance - 267.
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