After a good start to the campaign last Saturday with a 3-0 home win over Accrington Stanley it was back to a drizzly Creighton again this morning for a much tougher ask, that being a match against Preston who won the 2011-12 league title on the final day of the season. United boss Eric Kinder after that victory over the Reds seven days ago understandably sticking with the same starting line-up, with Jack Lynch still being out injured.
North End, fielding nine second years at kick-off, had the wind at their backs in the first-half kicking up the slight slope and it was they who had the opening chance of the game on two minutes when Brandon Zibaka's half-volley from 28 yards out pinged behind off Blues man of the match Brad Staunch (pictured), the resultant Matt Greenwood corner producing nothing for the visitors though. Three minutes later and Greenwood's delivery was much better as a wicked curling ball in from the right just evaded an attempt at a diving header by Ben Davies.
Carlisle though, slightly on the back foot in the early stages, came back into it and with 12 minutes gone a foul by Daniel Forbes on Connor Thomson over on the right saw Blues skipper Tom Berwick swing the free-kick in which Thomson flicked on with his right boot, North End's Alan Scurry then perhaps a little fortunate to see his attempted clearance from the middle of the box fly straight into the gloves of his goalkeeper Steven James.
Six minutes later and it was Ryan Croasdale on the turn for Preston 12 yards out from a Jordan Scott pass, but he was only able to hit his right-footed strike wide of Jordan Parker's left-hand post. After 23 minutes Scurry fouled Greg Peel and was then booked by referee John Mulligan for booting the ball away, Alex Salmon then chipping the 40-yard free-kick into the box from which Peel's header in a challenge with goalkeeper James was heading goalwards until Davies hoofed it away from danger.
Shortly afterwards and Dale Minor sent an excellent cross in from his left-back spot and Thomson running in ten yards out saw his header parried away by Davies on the bounce, with Peel then offside on the rebound. A bout of pinball then taking place in the Carlisle penalty area on 28 minutes before Scott was only able to shoot wide of the target from 15 yards out. Easily the worst tackle of the game then coming eight minutes on when Adam Thurston was booked for a studs up on challenge on Peel that could possibly have seen red in a first team game.
Sixty seconds later and Zibaka teed himself up for a right-footed volley fully 30 yards out but it was always flying away high over the angle of far-post and crossbar. Salmon then the next player in the referee's notebook after he blocked an attempt at a quickly taken free-kick by Scurry following a Peel foul on Thurston. The last chance of the first-half coming right on the whistle when Scott's 20-yard strike was deflected behind for a Greenwood corner, from which Scurry, heading over the top from close range was penalised for a push on Peel.
After a quick interval it was United who immediately looked the better side, with central midfielder Kyle Dempsey the first hunting for a goal on 47 minutes when he shot over the top from 20 yards out. Salmon and Peel then working a nice one-two with 54 minutes gone with Salmon drawing a good parried save out of James with a powerful 20-yard strike. New North End boss Graham Alexander then making his first substitution of the game sixty seconds later when he brought on Josh Brownhill for Scott down the right.
Bang on the hour-mark and it was Thurston pressing forward for the visitors from midfield but his 28-yard drive slid away wide of Parker's left-hand post. Carlisle then taking the lead from their next attack when Pat Brough did well to chase down a Minor ball to the left hand by-line and cut it back into the middle for an unmarked Salmon (pictured) to take a quick touch before hitting a right-footed half-volley from 12 yards out into the top corner to make it 1-0 to the Blues.
That one goal lead didn't last long though as in the 66th minute it was then 2-0 to Carlisle when a worked set-piece Dempsey corner in saw Salmon running in late at pace to thump an eight-yard header into the net. Preston then bringing on their second substitute during the break in play as Jack Ryan came on upfront for Greenwood. Ryan straight into the action when two minutes later he was played through down the left-hand channel by Brownhill, Parker though making an excellent sliding block and take as he and Brownhill reached the ball almost at the same time 15 yards out.
United manager Eric Kinder was then looking for some fresh legs upfront on 69 minutes when he brought on the strong running Jamie Clarey for hold up striker Peel at the top of the forward line. Things were then looking dangerous for Carlisle though four minutes later when Staunch fouled Thurston 25 yards out in the middle, Thurston then picking himself up to crack the free-kick in only to see it fly out for a goal-kick off a visiting player in the defensive wall, although the rest of the North End team certainly didn't agree with referee Mulligan's decision there.
North End then made their final change in personnel with 77 minutes on the clock as they chased the game by bringing off right-back David Kuba-Kuba and putting on giant frontman Josh Amis. Sixty seconds later though and it was United looking to make it 3-0 when Brough raced away down the left-hand channel, but his low 20-yard strike across goal flashed narrowly wide of the far-post. Carlisle then making their second substitution of the match with five minutes to go when Danny Dixon came on for the tiring Thomson down the right.
Up to the 89th minute now and the visitors were furiously chucking everything forward as they looked to get a goal back, with Parker seeing yellow for the Cumbrians as he tried to delay the taking of a North End corner. Another booking coming moments later after the flag-kick had been cleared when Berwick was felled on the run by North End skipper Croasdale. The referee, as he had done with Salmon shortly before on his foul, warning the already booked Thurston for some dissent, Salmon, Scurry and Thurston all walking a second-half disciplinary tightrope to be fair.
United's second clean sheet in their opening two wins confirmed two minutes into stoppage time when Amis, ten yards out, could only head wide of the near-post from a Croasdale cross in from the right. An excellent win for the Cumbrians then, particularly with the match being such a hard-fought and physical one. Next week it's an unknown quantity for Carlisle though as they look to continue their winning start the season, when the lads take on Football League new boys Fleetwood away from home on Saturday morning.
United line-up:
Jordan Parker, Brandon Gwinnutt, Dale Minor, Brad Staunch, Dillon Morse, Kyle Dempsey, Tom Berwick (c), Alex Salmon, Connor Thomson (Danny Dixon 85), Greg Peel (Jamie Clarey 69), Pat Brough.
Unused substitutes:
Lewis Brass (GK), Jake Chisholm and Evan McEvoy.
Preston line-up:
Steven James, David Kuba-Kuba (Josh Amis 77), Daniel Forbes, Ryan Croasdale (c), Alan Scurry, Ben Davies, Jordan Scott (Josh Brownhill 55), Adam Thurston, Brandon Zibaka, Matt Greenwood (Jack Ryan 66), Joe Whittington.
Unused substitutes:
Tom Quinn (GK) and Ronald Drafi.
Referee - John Mulligan.
Assistants - P Murphy and C Swainson.
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