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It was Rovers who got us into the first spot of action in the fifth minute too as Jay Gibbs fired a 20-yard left-footed half-volley wide of the Carlisle near-post. United then responding five minutes later following a foul on Liam Davison in the middle of the Tranmere half, Matty Osmond then swinging a left-footed free-kick in that saw Beck send a looping header up into the arms of Whites goalkeeper Andy Coughlin from ten yards out.
With 16 minutes on the clock Max Power stuck a pass over the top for burly Rovers striker Cole Stockton to race onto, Stockton perhaps having more time as he choose to thump in a left-footed half-volley from just inside the Carlisle box, Blues goalkeeper Jon Ball then making an excellent one-handed save on the shot.
Moments later and it was United on the attack when, from an Osmond corner, Steven Swinglehurst glanced a ten-yard header across goal but well wide of the far-post. It was all Tranmere then for a couple of minutes as Stockton sliced a right-footed 12-yarder wide, headed a Stephen Wainwright cross in from the right over the top from the middle of the penalty area and then sent a 22-yard right-footed curler straight at Ball in the Carlisle goal.
So, after the Stockton show, in the 24th minute some other Rovers players were involved, Davison fouling Gibbs 30 yards out with the resultant right-footed free-kick from Conor Roberts then being deflected away from the target. Power then sixty seconds later touching the ball off for Roberts to send a right-footed 20-yard curler over the top.
Ball was then forced into another good one-handed save on 26 minutes when Jake Kirby raced through the middle before shooting right-footed on goal from just inside the Carlisle box, Ball pushing the ball out behind. Gibbs then, from close range, heading David McNamara's following corner wide.
Three minutes later and United started to get back into things when a Manny Richardson cross in from the left broke off Davison to Ben McKenna 12 yards out at the Rovers far-post. McKenna then seeing his right-footed half-volley from there well saved by Coughlin. Just after the half-hour mark and Beck, from a Phil Towler pass, was looking to get a shot in on goal only to be denied by a great block from Tranmere defender Will Vaulks.
In a busy spell in the game Kirby set up Power for what was only a weak right-footed shot straight at Ball from 20 yards out. McKenna for Carlisle then cutting in from the right on 34 minutes before pulling a left-footed shot wide of the near-post from just inside the Rovers box. The next chance also coming the way of United when Osmond found Manny Richardson for a left-footed 15-yard shot that was easily taken by Coughlin.
McKenna then just seconds later setting up Towler for a right-footed curler over the top from the middle of the visitors 'D'. After 40 minutes and it should have been 1-0 to Carlisle when Richardson raced clear from a Beck flick-on, Richardson though remarkably choosing to shoot from 15 yards out despite having Davison waiting for an open goal tap-in, Coughlin able to save Richardson's right-footed effort before Kristian Platt managed to clear away the goalmouth scramble.
Platt a victim of the sad demise of Chester City and taking in a game on trial for Tranmere today in a hope to win a contract at a club not run by someone who has been disqualified from acting as a company director for 11 years. The Whites then having the last chance of the half in the 43rd minute when Wainwright, from a Stockton lay-off, pulled an awful right-footed 18-yard shot wide.
During the interval Blues boss Eric Kinder made a change in personnel when under-16s midfielder Josh Todd replaced McKenna. Rovers then having to make a change in the 49th minute when Jay Gibbs went down under a hefty, but fair 50-50 challenge, between himself and Carlisle right-back James Wood, Gibbs hurting his ankle quite badly and having to be replaced by, ironically enough, Ellis Healing.
After a poorly hit clearance on a back pass from Coughlin came straight to him, Davison then tried to get on the scoresheet with an audicious right-footed lob from 45 yards out, his effort though drifting wide of Coughlin's left-hand post, that being the last action of the game for Davison as Dan Jones then came on in his place.
Seconds later and Carlisle took the lead in the 56 minute when Wood played in Richardson over the top with a deep pass down the left-hand channel, Vaulks then turning the ball into his own net from close range, with Beck lurking behind him, following Richardson's low left-footed cross in.
Two minutes later and it was the Blues attacking again when Osmond stuck a cross in from the left which Jones headed over the top from ten yards out. Rovers then using the break in play to make a substitution as Joe Conchie came on for Kirby down the right-hand side of the Tranmere midfield.
Their next change coming in rather more bizarre circumstances when McNamara had a big row with his coach and was hauled off the field, that meaning that substitute goalkeeper John Courtney (no, not that one) had to play down the left-wing for the visitors for the final 26 minutes of the game, Courtney doing as much as he could down that flank in his new role.
All that action involving McNamara coming seconds before Carlisle made it 2-0, Osmond's inswinging left-footed corner to the far-post being headed firmly home by Swinglehurst six yards out. In the 69th minute Rovers were looking to pull a goal back when Roberts had a 15-yard left-footed shot pushed out by Ball for a corner. Roberts then sticking the flag-kick in which Stockton at the back-stick headed across for Conchie to waste a good chance with a close range header over the top.
With 15 minutes to go United made their third and final change of the game when James Bonner came on for Richardson. Bonner then involved very quickly as, following a Coughlin save on a right-footed Towler 15-yard shot, he somehow spooned his effort on the rebound over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box, that a missed opportunity for Carlisle to kill the game off at that point.
Shortly afterwards and Jones cut in from the left before firing a 15-yard drive high and wide of the target with his right boot before Tranmere pulled a goal back in the 78th minute. Todd bringing down Stockton two yards to the left of the United 'D', with Power stepping up to curl the free-kick right-footed low around the Blues defensive wall and into the far corner of the net.
Two minutes on and Carlisle left-back Kieran Cahill was then slightly harshly booked for timewasting on a throw-in. Bonner then after 82 minutes sticking in a long throw from the right which Osmond flick-headed straight at Coughlin from eight yards out. Rovers then responding with a Roberts right-footed drive from just outside the United penalty area that flashed just wide of Ball's near-post.
Tranmere almost nicked a point two minutes into what became six minutes of injury time following a foul by Bonner on Ellis Appleton on the Rovers left 20 yards out. Appleton then swinging the free-kick in which Ball flapped at, the resulting scramble to either clear the ball or whack it in the net ending in Ball being fortunate enough to dive in for possession just in front of his line.
The last chance for the Whites to grab a late leveller coming three minutes on when Swinglehurst was unluckily penalised for handball on the right-angle of the Carlisle box. Roberts only curling the free-kick left-footed across goal and well wide of Ball's far-post. So, the losing streak is ended with a win that was made harder than it should have been in the end, it won't be easy next Saturday either though as the Blues make a tough trip to fourth-placed Walsall.
United line-up :
Jon Ball, James Wood, Kieran Cahill, Steven Swinglehurst, Sean Law, Phil Towler, Ben McKenna (Josh Todd 46), Liam Davison (c) (Dan Jones 55), Mark Beck, Manny Richardson (James Bonner 75), Matty Osmond.
Unused substitute :
Jamie Cleary.
Tranmere line-up :
Andrew Coughlin, Stephen Wainwright, Ellis Appleton, Will Vaulks, Kristian Platt, Conor Roberts, Jake Kirby (Joe Conchie 58), Max Power, Cole Stockton, Jay Gibbs (Ellis Healing 49), David McNamara (John Courtney (GK) 64).
No unused substitutes.
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