Blues Cruise As U's Lose

It's that man again!!

The bench was all but the same as well with Jamie McClen the only unlucky man to miss out as he was replaced by new loan signing from Bristol City, Michael Bridges. McClen's contract runs out in January and you have to feel he will be looking elsewhere for the chance of first-team football when his current deal runs out. Simon Grand, Anthony Williams, Brendan McGill and Adam Murray were the other four men looking to try and keep warm on the sidelines.

The United groundstaff had worked hard from the early hours of the morning to ensure that the game would go ahead on a cold but clear afternoon in Cumbria. The pitch held up well though and showed little sign of the freezing temperatures until the second half when the sun went down and the surface started to frost over once more.

It was a quiet start from both teams with each outfit seemingly checking out the other for any tactical changes from United’s 1-0 League defeat at the Kassam Stadium just six weeks earlier.

The first chance soon came though and it fell to the Blues after Hawley had been brought down on the edge of the Oxford box by U’s centre-half Chris Willmott. Murphy stepped up to take the free-kick from the right edge but his left-footed curler went marginally over keeper Billy Turley’s bar.

The visitors were beginning to find a firm foothold in the game now and in the 13^th minute they had what, apart from their goal, was their best opportunity of the game. A Chris Hackett corner came in from the right which Murphy could only flick-on at the near-post as he attempted to clear. The ball fell to on-loan winger Adam Griffin just six yards out but he could only place his header tamely into the arms of Westwood when a firm effort may have seen a different result.

The stats show that the visitors only had six corners but it certainly felt like more than that as United seemed to be constantly clearing away crosses put in by the pacey Hackett. It wasn’t surprising to see the right-winger continually outstrip the Cumbrians rearguard though as Hackett is a top-class sprinter who has represented Oxfordshire in the English Schools Athletics Championships.

Griffin was in the action again just moments later as he made a good run in from the left, the chance of a goal got to him though and his 20-yard shot flew well wide of Westwood’s goal.

It was the Blues turn to have a good spell now though and on 16 minutes Turley made a fantastic one-handed diving save from a Lumsdon curler after Holmes had headed the ball down well to the ex-Sunderland schemer.

Turley’s goal didn’t remain unbreached for long though as from the resultant corner United took the lead. Murphy swung in a dangerous corner which was headed away from the line by U’s left-back Matthew Robinson. Holmes picked the loose ball up out on the left and exchanged a one-two with Billy before putting in a useful looking cross which Nade met on the penalty spot with his left boot. The Frenchman got a sweet connection on it as he flicked a lovely effort past Turley and into the far corner of the net.

It was one of those 50-50 ones that are given some games and not the next, luckily for the Cumbrians it was a "not given" day today. The reaction of the Oxford bench said a lot though as neither boss Brian Talbot or player-coach David Oldfield seemed to complain about the appeal being waved away.

After 25 minutes right-back Lee Mansell sliced an attempted half-volley way wide of the target as Oxford had a good spell in the game with United seemingly reverting to their old ways of sitting back and defending after going one goal ahead. For a short period in the game it was back to long balls being punted up from the back to the isolated Blues forward line as the visitors upped the pressure in their efforts to find an equaliser.

Ten minutes later and it was Hackett again causing the Carlisle defence problems. The winger got on the end of a low Robinson cross but the ball bounced up off the frosty surface and his "shinner" flew wide of the Blues far-post.

It was good to see United putting their bodies on the line to preserve the lead shortly afterwards. In the first of a few similar incidents from Carlisle players, Livesey threw himself full length to get a tremendous block in on a Basham shot from the edge of the Cumbrians box.

The Blues had a half-chance through Hawley on 40 minutes but Willmott did well to get to across and deflect the United hotshot’s effort out for a corner. Just before the half-time whistle and Chris Billy made a rare foray forward for the Cumbrians but his 20-yard piledriver flew over the top of Turley’s bar and into the Warwick at pace.

It had been a pretty even opening period but it was United who had done well to make the breakthrough against a well-organised U’s defence who had only conceded 18 goals in their previous 17 League games.

Immediately after the interval cup of tea Brian Talbot made a change as he looked to spice up Oxford’s attacking options. Lee Bradbury, christened "Badbuy" by the Manchester City faithful after a disappointing spell with the Citizens, came on to replace Wales under-21 striker Craig Davies.

Only two minutes into the half and Hawley slid a dangerous ball across the face of the Oxford six-yard box but the ball was where he needed to be and Willmott easily cleared the danger. Just sixty seconds later Holmes got into a good area from an Arnison cross but his header was straight at Turley.

The U’s were still pressing on well as they looked for a leveller in the match and the game started to open up a little as the pitch started to get slippy and frosty with the sun going down. Winter football had made it’s yearly arrival at Brunton Park.

The match opening up was worrying at times for United as it gave Hackett more room to run in and cause havoc down the right flank. Oxford were also still having plenty of possession but had little cutting edge except for Hackett and the long throws of centre-half Jude Stirling. Westwood was at his best for Carlisle all afternoon though and continually came out of his goal confidently to collect corners and wide balls into the Blues box.

United finally gave themselves the breathing space they so desperately needed in the game on 57 minutes when that man Hawley put the Cumbrians 2-0 up. Murphy hit a long free-kick from the centre-circle which saw Willmott and Gray challenging for the ball in the air. It seemed to come off the Oxford player last and fall straight into the path of Hawley who took it down at his feet with ease. In one quick movement he turned and hit his shot from ten yards low around the legs of Mansell and into the far bottom corner. Turley had no chance of saving it and it was a great finish from a striker whose finishing really has come on in leaps and bounds this season.

Carlisle player-manager Paul Simpson was forced into making his first change of the game two minutes later when Nade had to limp off the pitch with an ankle injury. He was replaced like-for-like by McGill who looked keen to impress and covered a lot of his ground in his 30-minute cameo.

Hackett was unlucky just moments afterwards when he made a great run down the right and beat two covering United defenders as he ran into the box. The winger was only left with disappointment though when Livesey’s challenge sent the ball back bouncing off his legs and into the grateful arms of Westwood.

It was the substitution that was always going to happen and it came in the 64^th minute as Carlisle debutant Bridges replaced Holmes to the rapturous applause of the 5913 Blues fans in a total attendance of 6097.



His first piece of action was an amusing one though after the anticipation of his talents to come as he gave away a free-kick within ten seconds for a push on Mansell.

A minute later and we saw the quality in him as he showed good vision to put in Hawley on the left-hand side but the ex-Raith man sent his shot high and wide of the Oxford goal from the edge of the box.

On 69 minutes McGill made a incisive run down the right and laid the ball back to Arnison who swung a pacey cross into the visitors penalty area. Murphy was the first United player on the scene but the sent his header narrowly wide of Turley’s goal.

With fifteen minutes left Carlisle made their final change of the game as they brought on Adam Murray on the left-hand side of midfield to replace the tiring Hackney. Shortly afterwards Oxford centre-half Stirling was the only player of the afternoon to enter referee Pike's notebook as he was booked for persistent infringement, a foul on Bridges being the final straw for the Westmorland official.

Two minutes later it was Bridges turn for the Blues to go close with a header as Hawley put in a cross to the far-post, the ex-Leeds striker was under pressure from Stirling in the U’s back-line though and could only flash his header narrowly wide.



United were finishing the game well and in the 80^th minute Murphy made a powerful run at the heart of the U’s defence from his left-back spot. He laid a nice pass across to Bridges in the right-hand channel who took a quick touch and then hammered a 25-yard rocket which flew inches over the Oxford woodwork.

U’s substitute and ex-MK Dons youth-teamer Mark E’Beyer had a good opportunity but Livesey got a head on his 15-yard half-volley. Carlisle fans still watched worriedly though as his header went over Westwood, it went just over the Carlisle bar as well however to assuage any thoughts of a late Blues own-goal.

The visitors finally did get a goal back to set nerves jangling around Brunton Park in the 90^th minute through Bradbury. Hackett beat Murphy down the right and cut the ball back to the ex-Pompey striker on the edge of the United area and Bradbury made no mistake from there as he smashed a low left-foot drive past Westwood and into the far bottom corner.

It was Oxford’s first goal in 518 minutes of League football and United skipper Gray was visibly angry that the Blues had failed to keep a clean sheet for the third game in a row.