It wasn't far off a case of bring your boots and you get a game for the young Blues this lunchtime, with Dan Jones and Adam Gill still away at Penrith and Mark Beck at Workington, plus three players out injured in Tom Berwick (ankle), Jamie Cleary (shoulder) and Alex Salmon (ankle). The absence of forwards Beck, Cleary and Salmon meaning that United had to start the game with right-sided midfielder Dave Symington in an unfamiliar role on his own upfront.
Port Vale then started the game slightly the stronger side and in the fifth minute their skipper Ryan Lloyd, who had an excellent delivery with his left foot all afternoon, stuck a corner deep in which seemed to disappear away from danger via a combination of the crossbar and Blues goalkeeper Jordan Parker. Carlisle though having their own chance five minutes later when Brad Potts sent a lovely ball over the top, Josh Todd (pictured) having a tough ask though as he tried a first-time left-footed volley on it from ten yards out only to see it fly miles over the top.
Potts did make it 1-0 to the Cumbrians just sixty seconds later though when Brandon Gwinnutt raced down to the by-line before possession reached Potts, via Lance McGlen, 15 yards out in the right-hand channel, Potts then from there fairly hammering a right-footed drive into the Valiants net past goalkeeper Joe Hemmings. The visitors then coming close to an equaliser in the 13th minute when another dangerous corner in from Lloyd saw Parker spill the ball in front of goal, fortunately though Dale Minor was on hand to clear the Carlisle lines.
Port Vale were then attacking once more shortly afterwards when right-back McGlen failed to shepherd the ball out on the Blues by-line and Lloyd was able to nip in and a stick a cross over, Oliver Marland 12 yards out though sending his right-footed volley wide of Parker's far-post. Lloyd again involved after 16 minutes, following a Dillon Morse foul on Alex Russell 20 yards out and just to the right of the United 'D', Lloyd surprising us all though as he shoved the resultant free-kick over the top with his usually trusty left boot.
It became more of a waste too as the Blues made it 2-0 just sixty seconds later, Symington sending a slide-rule pass through for Todd to run onto down the left-hand channel and shoot left-footed and in from ten yards out under the body of a diving Hemmings. That two goal lead was short-lived though as it was 2-1 two minutes later, Grant Jeffries setting up Marland in the right-hand side of the Carlisle box for a low ten-yard right-footed drive across Parker and into the far corner of the net.
United were soon back pressing though as the game went end to end and with 25 minutes gone Todd pushed a nice pass through for Jack Lynch to race onto down the middle, a heavy second touch for Lynch though meant a crunching challenge between him and Hemmings just inside the visitors penalty area, with the Vale goalkeeper eventually managing to play on after a couple of minutes of treatment.
Bang on the half-hour mark and it was Carlisle again when Potts sent a ball over the top for Gwinnutt down the right, Gwinnutt's deep cross in from there seeming to flick off the head of Todd before an unsighted Pat Brough had the ball more or less hit his left leg and go wide of the back-stick from six yards out. Lynch and Todd then combining from a Blues short corner two minutes later but Todd was only able to pull his right-footed 20-yard effort wide of the target.
The Valiants then picking themselves up for a better spell in the game with Lloyd on 34 minutes setting up Dominic Thorley for a right-footed half-volley over the top from 20 yards out. Vale then two minutes later seeing Lloyd's corner in headed across the Carlisle goal by Tom Morris to the far-post where Marland rather wastefully headed over the top from close range. Gwinnutt then being yellow carded by refereee John Mulligan for a studs up challenge on Thorley 30 yards out on the left wing after 40 minutes. The resultant free-kick swung in by a dusted down Thorley somehow evading the head of Douglas Price as he raced in deep at the United far-post.
Two minutes later and it was Marland playing in Lloyd down the left-hand channel for the visitors but his left-footed shot from 15 yards out zipped across goal and inches wide of Parker's left-hand post. The last opportunity of the half to find another goal coming the way of Carlisle as we ticked into stoppage time following a Dominic Plant foul on Todd 28 yards out on the left wing. Lynch's free-kick also somehow evading everyone as it whistled on its own narrowly wide of the Vale left-hand upright.
With the Symington experiment not working 100% Blues boss Eric Kinder then made a tactical change just after the interval when he moved Symington back into midfield and pushed rangy 16-year old left-winger Brough, who did quite well in the role, up as the lone striker down the middle. Vale Head of Youth Mick Ede then making the first substitution after the game with 51 minutes on the clock when Will Whieldon replaced Joe Evans at left-back.
Carlisle were much the better side in the second half and their spell of pressure began when Potts sent Todd away down the left-hand channel, Todd though sliding his left-footed 12-yard drive across the six-yard box and inches wide of the target. The visitors then having a rare effort on the Cumbrians goal three minutes later when Marland sent an, at best, speculative left-footed half-volley from 40 yards out over the angle of Parker's right-hand post and crossbar.
Two minutes later however and it was the Blues at it once more when a loose ball broke to Brough on the edge of the Vale penalty area, his left-footed low drive from there though skipping narrowly wide of Hemmings's left-hand post. Then came a contentious moment in the game on the hour-mark when Carlisle made it 3-1 from the penalty spot. Gwinnutt and Brough combining nicely to set up Todd for a side-footer with his right boot from almost on that penalty spot itself, Todd's shot not far off shaving the left-hand post on its way wide.
There had been a foul on Brough just inside the box though as he knocked the ball across for Todd, and so referee Mulligan, after playing advantage for Todd's effort, bringing play back for the foul and therefore a spot-kick. Vale boss Mick Ede disputing the decision at the time and after the game while Blues manager Eric Kinder commented following the match that it was the correct decision. Todd, for the record, slotting home into the net with his right foot from the penalty spot, despite Hemmings diving the right way.
Ede then perhaps trying to take his mind off the situation as two minutes later he replaced Russell with Dave Lander upfront, Russell not looking too happy when he came off and I feared a shirt chuck as he took it off, but I couldn't have been more wrong as he neatly folded it up on the floor behind him. Carlisle then going close again after 65 minutes following a Jack Pryor foul on Symington out on the left, Lynch's resultant free-kick across seeing Gwinnutt make a remarkable leap at the back-post only for his header to drift across goal and marginally wide from ten yards out.
It was 4-1 to the Cumbrians sixty seconds later though when Potts sent Symington away down the left-hand channel, Symington then in his favourite place on his right foot 12 yards out to powerfully side-foot across Hemmings and into the far corner of the visitors net. Blues Head of Youth Eric Kinder then making his first substitution of the match midway through the second half when Kyle Dempsey came on for Gwinnutt down the right.
Todd then on 69 minutes looking for his hat-trick as Carlisle broke away from a Vale corner, Todd though seeing his left-footed curler from 20 yards out disappear away over the top. A second change in personnel then coming for United with 71 minutes gone when 15-year old midfielder Connor Hammill made his debut at youth team level as he replaced Lynch in central midfield, Whitehaven-born Hammill not looking at all out of place in his spell on the pitch despite being up against players two or three years older than him.
It was the two senior United engine roomers combining two minutes later though when Potts and Todd worked the ball forward between each other, possession in the end however breaking to Brough on the edge of the Valiants box, from where he deposited a lovely clean left-footed strike low into the far corner of the net to make the scoreline 5-1. The next action of note being a substitution apiece on 75 minutes when Josh Croft came on for Plant for the visitors and Evan McEvoy replaced McGlen at right-back for the Cumbrians, with Potts now taking over the captain's armband.
McEvoy was in the action giving the ball away two minutes later though as Thorley was able to race away down the left-hand channel. Parker though was more than up to the challenge as he made a good stop with his legs on Thorley's ten-yard left-footed shot, with Brad Staunch then hacking the ball behind to clear the lines. United goalkeeper Parker relying on Dempsey though from the resultant corner when another vicious Lloyd inswinger flew over the top off him, with Dempsey able to head it away from danger off the line at the back-stick.
In a busy game it was then Symington in the 82nd minute trying his luck as he cut in from the left but his right-footed drive from almost 40 yards out was always going high and wide of the target across the box. The final chance of another goal coming three minutes later when Jeffries sent Lloyd away down the left-hand channel, Parker though making a tremendous save on Lloyd's ten-yard left-footed shot, with the ball then breaking out to Croft for a low left-footed drive from the edge of the box that proved an easy one for Parker to gather.
So, a very comfortable 5-1 win for Carlisle in the end in their last home game of the season, and there were some more good signs for the future too as the Cumbrians finished the game with four schoolboys in their starting eleven, in Brough, Dempsey, Hammill and McEvoy. Some of those perhaps getting another chance of action in United's last two matches, which both come on the road, first at Shrewsbury next Saturday and then at title-chasing Burnley the following Tuesday.
United line-up :
Jordan Parker, Lance McGlen (c to 75) (Evan McEvoy 75), Dale Minor, Brad Staunch, Dillon Morse, Jack Lynch (Connor Hammill 71), Brad Potts (c from 75), Brandon Gwinnutt (Kyle Dempsey 67), Josh Todd, David Symington, Pat Brough.
Unused substitute :
Danny Dixon.
Goals - Potts 11, Todd 17 and 60 pen, Symington 66, Brough 73.
Port Vale line-up :
Joe Hemmings, Jack Pryor, Joe Evans (Will Whieldon 51), Dominic Plant (Josh Croft 75), Douglas Price, Tom Morris, Grant Jeffries, Dominic Thorley, Oliver Marland, Alex Russell (Dave Lander 62), Ryan Lloyd (c).
Unused substitute :
Ryan Boot (GK).
Goal - Marland 19.
Referee - John Mulligan.
Assistants - Steve Dobinson and Kenny Bragg.
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