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With Matthew Wood out for a good few weeks, after his injury on Saturday, numbers were down again, Carlisle having just three substitutes today, and all of them midfielders, John Jamieson's absence presumably meaning right-back Matthew Brown would have taken over goalkeeping duties if Alex Mitchell had been injured or sent off.
The first shot of the game came from the visitors in the opening minute when a 22-yarder was fired over Mitchell's crossbar. United hitting back in the best possible way when they took the lead after just three minutes when Connor Tinnion's low ball into the Blackpool box for Andy Cook had been deflected up in the air. Ryan Bowman reacting the quickest as he headed the loose ball over the Seasiders keeper and into the net from eight yards out.
Carlisle pressed again three minutes later when a Brown cross in from the right was touched on by a 'Pool head straight to Tinnion 15 yards out. The Blues left-winger's left-footed shot across goal pulling wide of the far-post from there. With ten minutes gone the Seasiders were looking for an equaliser but Mitchell was easily able to watch a right-footed 22-yarder disappear way wide of his far-post.
With 14 minutes on the clock Matt Duffy sent a pinpoint ball in from the left from which Cook hit a ten-yard first-time volley with his right boot over the bar. The Seasiders were having the better of the play early on and four minutes later Mitchell was relieved to make an easy catch at his far-post from a poorly hit curling shot from just outside the United 'D'.
Midway through the opening period and some nice work going forward by Blackpool down the Carlisle left saw a cross zoom into the Blues penalty area. A big chance then going begging for the Seasiders when a shot, from an unmarked position, was hit straight at Mitchell from almost on the six-yard line, the Cumbrians keeper managing to grab hold of the ball at the second attempt.
United skipper Dan Wordsworth was card collecting again in the 26th minute when he saw yellow for a late tackle, although the Blackpool players, who seemed to spend most of the game attempting to referee it, with some particularly bad language along the way, were asking for a sending-off. Carlisle though having the next goal attempt just after the half-hour mark when Cook, after a good run by Tinnion, saw his 18-yard right-footed shot deflected wide.
The last action of a surprisingly quiet end to the first-half coming after just 36 minutes when a Blackpool forward hit a right-footed shot from just outside the United penalty area wide of Mitchell's penalty area. Neither side then able to make any headway in the latter stages as it was defences on top and a hearty battle for possession in midfield.
One of the Seasiders midfielders had taken a knock late in the first-half so he was substituted during the interval, as the first spring sunshine started to be overtaken by clouds and a light breeze began to blow in Blackpool's favour. United though created the opening opportunity when a nice pass up from Duffy was headed on by Bowman to Cook. The Carlisle striker seeing his quick right-footed shot from distance easily saved when he perhaps would have been better carrying the ball on a little further.
Sixty seconds later a free-kick from just to the right of the Carlisle 'D', conceded by Wordsworth, was curled over the top at Mitchell's far-post. Then two minutes later, as the game became a bit more end-to-end, Jonny Blake and John Seaton worked a nice one-two, but Blake's attempted right-footed curler from 22 yards out drifted away wide of the 'Pool far-post.
United made it 2-0 with 53 minutes gone with a goal pretty much out of nowhere, a Stephen Hindmarch left-footed shot from the right-angle of the box surely catching the visitors keeper unsighted as he stood motionless while the ball disappeared past him and into the net at his near-post.
Shortly afterwards and a good Carlisle break forward saw Bowman hit a left-footed half-volley over the Seasiders crossbar from just outside the penalty area. The break in play seeing Blake replaced by Simon Lakeland in the centre of the Cumbrians midfield. United again pressing just sixty seconds later when Cook's left-footed shot from distance sliced away well wide of the Blackpool near-post.
Just after the hour-mark a 22-yarder flew over Mitchell's crossbar, before Tinnion, on 64 minutes, was booked for a late challenge on a Seasider, Tinnion then being immediately replaced by Michael Dowson. Mitchell was able to save easily from a shot just outside his box sixty seconds later before an old face made a return to action in Carlisle in the 70th minute. Josh Newsham, who was released by mutual consent from United's youth squad at the start of the season, coming on as a Blackpool substitute down the right.
Another visiting player entered the referee's notebook for a foul on Bowman on 72 minutes, then moments later Duffy conceded a free-kick in return out on the United left. The set-piece swung into the Carlisle box seeing one of the Blackpool centre-halves head back across goal from ten yards out, Mitchell managing to tip the effort against the crossbar before Wordsworth was able to hack the loose ball away from danger.
With 15 minutes left in the match a clever ball from Duffy over the top of a pushed-up 'Pool back-line found the run of Bowman. A defender had tracked back strongly though and, under heavy pressure, United's under-16s striker could only shoot wide with his right foot from just outside the box.
Blackpool were now pushing up almost everyone bar the goalkeeper as they desperately looked for a way back into the game and that was allowing Carlisle to find room in behind. Bowman, in the 77th minute, from a lovely chipped Lakeland pass, lobbing a right-footed effort just wide of the Seasiders far-post from 22 yards out. Bowman then finding himself on his own upfront as Shaun Law came on in midfield for Cook three minutes later.
Playing narrow with five midfielders Carlisle were busy trying to keep Blackpool in front of them, but they were still able to break forward themselves. A quick one-two between Duffy and Law seeing Duffy's 15-yard left-footed shot across goal well pushed out for a corner by the visitiors goalkeeper after 82 minutes. Lakeland's resultant corner finding the head of Wordsworth 12 yards out at the back-post, with United's skipper then watching his effort loop onto the crossbar and over the top.
The Seasiders made yet another attacking change with four minutes to go but you got the feeling that they had all but given the game up now. Infact Carlisle should really have made it 3-0 in the 89th minute when Hindmarch made a strong run down the right before crossing the ball in for Bowman, a miskick was all Bowman was able to produce from six yards out though, but two goals in four games at this level is hardly a bad start for him.
From there Blackpool broke straight up the other end and had the final shot of the game, not that it was worth waiting for as it sailed miles over Mitchell's crossbar from only 15 yards out. The last thing to report being the only downside of the afternoon from a United perspective, as Brown, in injury-time, and in front of the Carlisle dugout, went down under a heavy challenge, and had to be carried off the pitch, seemingly in a lot of pain.
So, the results have gone the right way in the last two days but personnel issues really haven't ahead of what could be a title decider away to table-toppers Walsall on Saturday morning. United more than likely down to one second-year, in Hindmarch, with Wood and Brown (presumably) out injured and Wordsworth serving a three-match suspension. Just like the first-team, we seem to be being hit with injuries right at the time you really don't want them.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell, Matthew Brown, Matt Duffy, Dan Wordsworth (c), Tom Aldred, Jonny Blake (Simon Lakeland 55), John Seaton, Stephen Hindmarch, Andy Cook (Shaun Law 80), Ryan Bowman, Connor Tinnion (Michael Dowson 64).
No unused substitutes.
Results in the division from Saturday morning :
Accrington Stanley P-P Shrewsbury
Blackpool 5-2 Stockport
Burnley 0-1 Tranmere
Bury 1-3 Walsall
Carlisle United P-P Wigan, Netherhall v Carlisle United in Cumberland Cup
Morecambe 2-1 Wrexham
Oldham 1-2 Chester
Preston North End 0-1 Macclesfield
Rochdale 1-2 Port Vale
Carlisle United 2-0 Blackpool (Monday)
Fixtures in the division next Saturday morning :
Rochdale v Walsall (playing Wednesday at 2pm)
Chester v Preston North End
Macclesfield v Rochdale
Port Vale v Accrington Stanley
Shrewsbury v Blackpool
Stockport v Burnley
Tranmere v Bury
Walsall v Carlisle United
Wrexham v Oldham
Youth Alliance League Cup Northern Section Final :
Hull v Wigan (11.30am)
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