The key moment came in the 65th minute when keeper Matty Glennon fumbled a cross from Shane Tudor and the ball slipped towards the goal. Glennon appeared to have kept it out but the referee and linesman ruled the ball had crossed the line to restore the lead to the home side. Roddy Collins caused some controversy himself before the game when he left £100,000 signing Darren Kelly on the bench following his return from suspension. He kept faith with the pairing of Michael Taylor and Peter Murphy. Mark Summerbell made a welcome return after his one-match ban to the midfield. The Cumbrians were under pressure for much of the first half but Glennon made some good saves to keep them in the game. On 20 minutes the visitors grabbed the lead when John Sutton claimed his first goal for United. Leon Osman put Sutton through and the teenager showed composure to finish with the outside of his right foot. However the lead was only destined to last five minutes. The U's top scorers in Division Three going into the game pulled level when Tudor scored the first of his brace with a superb strike from 30 yards. The ball bounced out to him off Taylor and his shot flew into the top left corner past a helpless Glennon. As in United's last away trip in the league, Collins decided to pack the midfield in the second half by bringing on Will McDonagh for Sutton at half-time. The home team were forced to shoot from range but they still tested out Glennon. Luke Gutteridge brought a top save from him when he had to turn the ball onto the cross-bar. Omer Riza fired in a powerful effort that the burly keeper tipped safely over. Then Farrell thought he had put the Cumbrians 2-1 up only to be robbed by a very tight offside decision. But Glennon will have nightmares about Tudor's winner - even if TV replays appeared to show the ball had not clearly crossed the goal-line. Tudor's cross-shot lacked real power but took a deflection off Des Byrne which seemed to unsettle Glennon who flapped at the ball and watched it spin towards the net. Although he fell on it, the officials ruled it was over and so for the second match running, a Glennon howler had cost the Cumbrians. Tudor went for a hat-trick late on but Glennon was equal to it. He had a good night between the sticks but that single incident was always going to grab the headlines. Al's verdict: Tough on the keeper who made a mistake but appeared to be harshly treated with the award of a goal as TV replays showed it didn't fully cross the line. Otherwise another patchy performance with some good play by Byrne who is settling in well at left back and improved form from young Taylor who seems a bit happier with Murphy partnering him. Osman is still the main provider of chances, so let's just pray that he doesn't get injured or get homesick for Liverpool. Although Sutton broke his duck with the goal, Farrell seems the more likely of the two on-loan strikers to extend his stay. We had no luck with the decisions going against us, but you have to make your own luck in this game and Matty knows he should have held the cross in the first place. Things need to improve - and quickly. |
