To be honest in the first 15 minutes, quite literally nothing happened, both sides struggling to keep possession of the ball in a swirling wind on a bobbly, rock-hard pitch. Ex-Blue Tony Hopper heading wide from an Anthony Wright corner on 16 minutes with the first half-chance of the game, Reds were actually getting into some good crossing positions down the Carlisle right, but all too often the final ball in was lacking.
On 21 minutes United's Andy Hardman shot across goal and wide from a long Terry Stewart ball up. Then three minutes later, as Reds started to dominate the play, Gareth Arnison cut in well from the right only to send his 25-yarder straight at Blues keeper Adam Bradley. Shortly afterwards an effort from Workington's Graham Anthony saw a similar result for the home midfielder.
After 32 minutes Arnison's shot deflected off United's Dan Kirkup straight to Bradley on the bounce, then five minutes later Kirkup made a good block as Graham Goulding tried to get an 18-yard half-volley in on Bradley's goal. The Carlisle keeper made a good claim from a chipped ball to his back-post on 40 minutes, then moments later Hopper's shot from the edge of the Blues box was once more straight at the grateful Bradley.
Carlisle came back into it a little just before the break, on 43 minutes Mike Stewardson breaking away down the left after a good pass by Shaun Vipond. Stewardson was unlucky though to see his shot from the left-angle of the Reds box ping straight into Craig Summersgill's gloves off the angle of near-post and bar. Another good opportunity for United fell to Stephen Hindmarch on the half-time whistle, but Summersgill was well positioned to save the young Carlisle striker's ten-yard effort from a tight angle with his body.
The home side had obviously got a kick-up the backside during the break and came out much stronger at the start of the second period. Two minutes in Arnison had a couple of shots blocked from a corner, the ball coming to Wright who tried an overhead kick only to send it well wide. After 51 minutes Bradley made another good take from a cross in by Alan Inglis, then straight up the other end Summersgill chose to punch as he got rid of an Earl free-kick from the right flank.
Reds finally went 1-0 up in the 53rd minute, Arnison hardly able to miss with a header almost on the goal-line after Bradley had pushed a Goulding 12-yarder onto his own post. Two minutes later Wright was unlucky not to grab a goal as he cut in from the left and smashed in a pearler from 20 yards out with his left-foot only to see it ping back away off the inside of Bradley's far-post.
Two minutes later Workington doubled their lead when Matt Henney set-up Arnison with a clever dummy, Arnison coolly slotting home past Bradley from 12 yards out. Reds were well on top at this point in the game and only some brave goalkeeping stopped it being 3-0 on 65 minutes after a goalmouth scramble. United kept going though and Earl had two corners cleared before his dangerous cross in flew over the top of everyone and out for a Workington goal-kick at the back-post.
On 71 minutes the Reds substitute upfront sent a pacey shot from the right-hand channel just wide across Bradley's goalmouth, but the Blues keeper had no chance sixty seconds later when Workington went 3-0 up after some sleepy United defending. A quick throw was touched in to Goulding as the young Carlisle back-line showed a lapse in concentration, and it was a simple task for Goulding to half-volley the ball home past an unguarded Bradley from just eight yards out.
Moments later Reds were still coming forward and Goulding fired a 15-yarder wide of the Blues near-post. Another Workington substitute headed wide when well placed shortly afterwards, then on 77 minutes Wright showed some lovely skill to cut in from the left with a clever backheel. From there he played in the sub upfront and the replacement frontman was very unlucky to see his 22-yard curler from just outside the middle of the United 'D' bounce off the top of the Carlisle crossbar and away for a goal-kick.
Matthew Wood, a second-half United substitute, tried a curler over Summersgill from a tight angle in the 78th minute but it was an easy take for the Reds keeper. Five minutes later Hopper sent another header wide of the Carlisle far-post from only six yards out after another useful cross in from the right. The last moment of action in the game though saw the Blues grab a consolation goal two minutes from time. A throw-in by left-back Matthew Blake being touched on by Richie Hoban into Hindmarch in front of goal, Summersgill managed to block Hindmarch's shot but he was helpless as the ball ran to free for Earl to smash home from literally inches out, leaving the final scoreline at 3-1 to the Reds in front of 347 spectators.
Workington line-up :
Craig Summersgill, Alan Gray, Kyle May, Alan Inglis, Tom Cowan, Matthew Henney, Graham Anthony, Tony Hopper, Gareth Arnison, Graham Goulding, Anthony Wright.
United line-up :
Adam Bradley, Ashley Combe (Matthew Brown 87), Matthew Blake, Dan Kirkup, Terry Stewart, James Earl, Luke Joyce, Shaun Vipond (Richie Hoban 71), Mike Stewardson (Matthew Wood 60), Stephen Hindmarch, Andy Hardman.
Unused substitutes :
Dan Wordsworth and Grant Carson (GK).
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