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The sharp start to proceedings meant a bad day for the sausage sandwich again. As it rested precariously on top of a concrete post there was little time to actually shovel it down as Carlisle scored three times in the opening ten minutes. Sadly, well not really with United being 3-0 up, the pencil and the notepad seeing more action than the breakfast.
So, the first goal, just three minutes gone and a long Alex Mitchell goal-kick was flicked on by Simon Lakeland into the path of Andy Cook running clear down the middle. Cook setting himself 20 yards out before firing a thumping right-footed half-volley past a Preston keeper who had no chance of saving it.
So, the second goal, just six minutes gone and Lakeland was setting up Cook again, this time with a neat pass to the edge of the box. Cook seeing his initial right-footed toe-poke from there well saved by the North End glovesman, Cook though able to hammer the rebound home with glee into the far bottom corner of the visitors net.
So, the third goal, just ten minutes gone and it was Cook turning provider, but not for Lakeland. Ryan Bowman being the recipient of his slide-rule pass through the middle of a Preston back line that defended dreadfully throughout the game. Bowman, just in the right-hand side of the penalty area, firing a right-footed drive across goal and once more into the far corner of the shell-shocked Preston glovesman's net.
Things actually started to calm down a little now with the next chance coming the way of North End on 20 minutes when some poor Carlisle defending saw a 22-yard right-footed half-volley fly just over the top of Mitchell's crossbar. Only sixty seconds later Mitchell again able to look to the sky as a similar shot flew well over the top.
It was soon United back at it though and after 25 minutes Connor Tinnion pushed a ball through for Cook down the left-hand channel. Cook's hammered drive from 18 yards out being well pushed around his near-post by the Preston keeper though, with the resultant Lakeland corner coming to nothing.
North End pulled a goal back two minutes later when a good delivery into the Carlisle box from a corner saw Mitchell, under pressure, punch the ball out straight to a Preston midfielder just beyond the penalty spot, the Lilywhite from there able to thump a powerful left-footed half-volley into the roof of the United net.
Just after the half-hour mark and Bowman and Lakeland combined to send a ball through the middle for Cook to race after. Cook managing to partly block the Preston goalkeeper's clearance only to then be crowded out of the action by a back-tracking North End defence as he looked to get a shot in. Moments later at the other end of the pitch a ten-yard Preston flicked header, from a right-wing cross, flashed across goal and wide of Mitchell's far-post.
The visitors had claims throughout to actually be the better side on the day and they were having a good spell in the game now. A low cross coming in from the right-hand by-line seeing a Preston man look to have a clear shot on goal from close range only for Blues under-15s left-back Steven Swinglehurst to make a fantastic last-ditch tackle. Mitchell then able to collect a 25-yard half-volley on the bounce just seconds later.
Carlisle fought back though and after 37 minutes Tom Aldred rose right yards out in a scrum of players at the North End back-post to head a Tinnion corner over the top. Preston were playing strongly however and two minutes on a corner in saw the North End skipper hit a ten-yard half-volley at the back-post straight into the ground. Another Lilywhite then attempting an overhead kick on the loose ball which bounced off the top of the United crossbar and out for a goal-kick.
Despite struggling a little throughout against the set-pieces of a tall visiting side Carlisle still managed to create the last chance of the first-half on 42 minutes. Mitchell's free-kick up from his own half following a foul on Matt Duffy seeing Cook flick the ball on into the path of Bowman down the right-hand channel. Bowman's right-footed 15-yarder looking in all the way only for it to trundle across goal and inches wide of the Preston far-post.
The visitors, presumbaly after a half-time rocket, had a good chance seconds after the restart. A cross in seeing a right-footed shot from 15 yards out fly straight at Mitchell when anywhere else would have done from a North End perspective. In the 51st minute Swinglehurst once more making an excellent clearance as he did well to hack away a goalbound North End header from a corner.
Carlisle though were taking a lot of the chances they created and they did that again in the 57th minute when they made it 4-1. I didn't have the best view of the build-up to the goal as I was showing Dan Wordsworth where a match ball had snagged under a bush on the riverbank. I did though look up in time to see Lakeland curl a lovely cross in from the right and Cook rise on the penalty spot to thump a powerful header into the Preston net for his hat-trick.
Just after the hour-mark a 30-yard North End free-kick caused confusion in the United ranks when the shot that came in was so poorly hit, Duffy though able to clear the Carlisle lines. Mitchell did have to make a save on 63 minutes though when he saw a fierce right-footed drive from 25 yards out fly straight into his gloves.
The changing of the guard came just sixty seconds late when Matthews Wood and Brown, released by the club this week, left the field to a round of applause to be replaced by Michael Dowson and Shaun Law respectively. Both players going into central midfield with Lakeland, as he had done at Morecambe on Wednesday, now dropping into Brown's vacant right-back spot.
A nice move forward by the visitors saw an 18-yard shot from the right-hand channel fly across goal and wide of Mitchell's far post midway through the half. Mitchell then keeping his gloves warm only seconds later when the North End left-back drove in a shot from distance which took the United keeper two catches to keep hold of.
Carlisle made it 5-1 on 69 minutes with another excellent finish following a well placed cut-back from the right-hand by-line by Jonny Blake. Bowman, parked on the Preston penalty spot, showing great composure to hammer a right-footed first-time effort high into the North End goal. Preston trying to get on the scoresheet once more two minutes later with a 20-yarder that drifted away wide of the target.
The visitors keeper was half-asleep after 72 minutes when he allowed a Lakeland ball in from the right, that just evaded Bowman, to flash across his goalmouth and out for a by-kick. Sixty seconds later Bowman's pass to Cook in the North End box seeing the Blues frontman tap a shot from 12 yards out past the goalkeeper only for a Preston defender to do well and race back to clear the ball off the line, the Lilywhite ending up entangled in the net for his troubles.
Shortly afterwards North End made a triple substitution and John Jamieson replaced Mitchell in the United goal, Jamieson making his farewell appearance for the Carlisle youth team. Jamieson then making an easy catch after 79 minutes when a ten-yard Preston header, from a right-wing cross, looped pretty much straight up into the air.
Jamieson making a much harder save with ten minutes to go when a free-kick just to the right of the United 'D' was curled over the Carlisle defensive wall by the visitors left-back. Jamieson doing very well to get across and tip the ball over the top at his left-hand post. The young keeper in the action again with 86 minutes gone when he got down quickly to save a 22-yard shot from the left-hand channel.
A contender for the United youth team goal of the season came with just two minutes left when Bowman joined Cook in bagging a hat-trick. Bowman, over in the left-hand channel 25 yards out, controlling a long Jamieson clearance up well before knocking the ball over the head of the Preston left-back. The young striker then hammering an unstoppable right-footed half-volley into the near top corner of the North End goal before nochalantly turning around and walking back to the half-way line.
North End's last chance to make the final scoreline 6-2 coming just before the whistle when Jamieson made a great stop to parry away a close-range shot at his near-post. So, that's it at this level for another season, and 16 wins from 27 matches sees the Cumbrians finish third in the league. That no doubt assisted by the efforts of Matthew Brown, Stephen Hindmarch and Matthew Wood who now pursue their lives away from Brunton Park and leave the club with best wishes from all at CUFC Online.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell (John Jamieson74), Matthew Brown (Shaun Law 64), Steven Swinglehurst, Matt Duffy, Tom Aldred, Jonny Blake, Simon Lakeland, Matthew Wood (Michael Dowson 64), Andy Cook, Ryan Bowman, Connor Tinnion.
No unused substitutes.
Results in the division this week, Saturday morning unless stated :
Rochdale 2-3 Preston North End (Mon, 2pm)
Accrington Stanley 0-2 Tranmere (Wed, 2pm)
Burnley 5-0 Port Vale (Wed, 2pm)
Morecambe 1-1 Carlisle United (Wed, 7pm)
Preston 0-3 Wigan (Wed, 2pm)
Accrington Stanley 0-7 Wigan
Bury 1-2 Burnley
Carlisle United 6-1 Preston North End
Oldham 0-3 Walsall
Port Vale 3-2 Morecambe
Final fixture in the division next week :
Burnley v Wigan (Mon)
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