Another big game for Carlisle this morning as they faced up to a traditionally very strong Burnley outfit who had quite a few younger players in the starting ranks, United meanwhile still able to field second-year midfielder Jack Lynch who will start a two match ban next Saturday after his sending off last week at Morecambe. That meaning that the Cumbrians started the game, kicking down the slight slope, with the same eleven that had begun the 3-1 victory away to the Shrimps.
It was the visitors though who had the first chance of the game in the second minute when Waqas Azam played a ball through for Jamie Frost to race onto down the left-hand channel, Frost though 15 yards out cracking his shot into the Carlisle side-netting at Jordan Parker's near-post. Burnley then five minutes later seeing Lynch bring down Nathan Lowe 30 yards out central, Lowe himself however only able to send the resultant free-kick away over the top.
With nine minutes gone it was the Blues then pressing when a Dale Minor ball in from the left found Lynch sliding a 12-yard volley off his instep across goal and over the angle of far-post and bar. United did take the lead sixty seconds later though when Minor sent a lovely slide-rule pass through the middle for Alex Salmon (pictured) to race onto, Salmon then able to pick his spot from just inside the box as he crashed his shot into the corner beyond the reach of Burnley goalkeeper Callum Jakovlevs.
Carlisle then missing a good chance to make it 2-0 after 16 minutes when this time it was Salmon sending Kyle Dempsey away down the left-hand channel, but Dempsey's left-footed 18-yard drive across goal zipped just inches wide of the Clarets left-hand post. That would cost United too as it was 1-1 two minutes later through a goal that two of Carlisle's defenders will want to forget as quickly as possible.
Brad Staunch first making a meal of trying to clear away at the back for United, with Jason Gilchrist able to pounce only to see his powerful drive from the edge of the box parried away by Parker. It was then Minor's chance to clear for the Blues but his scuffed attempted clearance fell straight to the feet of Bradley Jackson 15 yards out, Jackson from there doing very well to fairly arrow a shot high into the top left-hand corner of Parker's net.
Burnley were having a lot of the possession in the first-half with their 4-3-3 system, but a lot of the time it wasn't really going anywhere with the ball passed around to no real penetrative effect. Clarets skipper Jack Errington then deciding to take matters into his own hands on 27 minutes when he made a good run forward, without being closed down however, before cracking a 25-yarder narrowly wide of Parker's left-hand upright.
Bang on the half-hour mark and Carlisle went extremely close to regaining the lead when a Lynch corner in was, in a challenge with Jakovlevs, diverted onto the underside of the crossbar by the boot of Connor Thomson six yards out at the near-post. Some pinball then ensuing before Salmon headed goalwards from the middle of the box, with Gilchrist then the Claret able to finally clear the visitors lines.
With 32 minutes gone Errington fouled Salmon 30 yards out, but Lynch's free-kick to the back-post was too deep as it slid off the leg of Brandon Gwinnutt and out for a Burnley goal-kick from almost on the by-line. The last chance of the half coming five minutes later when Salmon and Thomson combined to set up Lynch for a shooting opportunity, the United midfielder though seeing his attempted low drive from just outside the 'D' well blocked away by Alex Whitmore.
Into the second-half and with three minutes gone Carlisle had a great chance to make it 2-1 when a ball over the top from skipper Tom Berwick saw Salmon easily outpace Errington, Salmon though maybe choosing the wrong option as he lobbed a right-footed effort both over Jakovlevs and the crossbar from the edge of the box. Lynch then sticking a ball in after 50 minutes which saw Thomson's 10-yard volley well saved by Jakovlevs.
United were getting on top now and shortly afterwards Luke Daly conceded possession with Salmon making a good run forward past a couple of challenges before seeing his 18-yard drive bring a good diving stop out of Jakovlevs high away to his right. Burnley though coming back into it in the 53rd minute when Daly, Frost and Ntumba Massanka all combined going forward, but the only result of it was a weak shot from Lowe 20 yards out that was easily held by Parker.
Two minutes later and Gwinnutt gave the ball away at the back for Carlisle, but fortunately for him Parker was well placed to save Gilchrist's resultant 22-yard drive. United were having a good spell in the game now though and moments later Pat Brough set up Salmon for a right-footed curler over the top from 25 yards out, and then in the 57th minute Dempsey was fouled by Jackson in a similar area, Salmon though hammering the free-kick straight into the Clarets defensive wall.
It was then Berwick looking to find the net two minutes later when a Thomson ball in broke to him just outside the box, Berwick though slicing his left-footed half-volley from there across goal and wide of the Burnley right-hand post. Bang on the hour-mark then and Dempsey had a strong 22-yard shot on goal parried away by Jakovlevs before Blues boss Eric Kinder made his first change of the game in the 65th minute when he brought on Danny Dixon for Thomson down the right.
Burnley then were perhaps a little fortunate to escape a red card two minutes later when Gilchrist nearly took Dillon Morse's head off with his right boot as the pair challenged for the ball, referee Denton only seeing it as a yellow card though. Carlisle then got what proved to be the winning goal of the game in the 70th minute however when Brough fed Salmon for a touch off to Dempsey on the edge of the box, with Dempsey from there producing a tremendous right-footed half-volley that flew at pace low into the far corner of the Clarets net.
United then almost putting the game safe two minutes later when Dempsey (pictured) sent a deep ball into the back-post which Dixon headed back for Lynch, only for Lynch to see his half-volley from close range well tipped over the top by Jakovlevs. Carlisle then making their second substitution of the game sixty seconds later when Jamie Clarey came on for a slightly cramping Lynch, Salmon now dropping back into midfield for Lynch as Clarey went upfront.
Clarey was working hard up top too to protect United's narrow lead and shortly after coming on he harried Errington and Jakvolevs into a mistake at the back, only for Whitmore to just get back in time to clear for Burnley as an open goal looked like it was looming. The Clarets then making a triple change in the 78th minute as they looked to find a way back into the game, with Andreas Bianga, Khius Metz and Andy Nugent all coming on to replace Charlie Holt, Azam and Massanka.
With ten minutes to go it was Berwick playing in Salmon for a 20-yard drive which brought a pretty simple stop out of Jakovlevs. Not much then going on until sixty seconds into stoppage time when Lowe fouled Dempsey 30 yards out, Salmon then chipping the free-kick in to the back-post, but in a ruck of bodies and under pressure Staunch was only able to head wide of the Burnley left-hand upright.
United able to pretty easily see the rest of the three and a half minutes of time added on in comfort with Dixon also cutting in from the right only to fire across goal and wide of the target from 20 yards out. So, four wins and a draw now for Carlisle from their first five games is obviously an excellent start to the season, the young Blues also at home next Saturday morning when they face Port Vale at Creighton Rugby Club, this time in a noon kick-off though with the Valiants having a long trip up the M6.
United line-up:
Jordan Parker, Brandon Gwinnutt, Dale Minor, Dillon Morse, Brad Staunch, Kyle Dempsey, Connor Thomson (Danny Dixon 65), Tom Berwick (c), Alex Salmon, Jack Lynch (Jamie Clarey 73), Pat Brough.
Unused substitutes:
Lewis Brass (GK), Evan McEvoy and Greg Peel.
Burnley line-up:
Callum Jakovlevs, Charlie Holt (Khius Metz 78), Waqas Azam (Andreas Bianga 78), Nathan Lowe, Jack Errington (c), Alex Whitmore, Bradley Jackson, Luke Daly, Jason Gilchrist, Jamie Frost, Ntumba Massanka (Andy Nugent 78).
Unused substitute:
Danny Eccles (GK).
Referee - M Denton.
Assistants - Mr Locker and Mr Lynch.
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