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New Addicks boss Iain Dowie had talked about fielding a youthful side for the tie but in the end it was almost as much a full-strength team as he could play, the only first-teamers missing being those on the treatment table. Thomas Myhre started in goal in place of Cumbrian Scott Carson while Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink was also rested, Marcus Bent taking the place of the Dutch striker. At left-back 19-year old Nathan Ashton made his debut for the home side, while Jonathan Fortune shrugged off a toe injury to again cement his place at centre-half.
Charlton started brightly as they looked to find some form after four defeats in their first five Premiership games, Zigor Aranalde and Peter Murphy having to double up early on flying Danish winger Dennis Rommedahl who would prove a thorn in United's side all night with his searing pace. Livesey also showing some stout defending in the eighth minute when Senegalese midfielder Amady Faye chipped a free-kick into the Cumbrians box, Livesey on hand to head away powerfully.
The first shot in anger for the home side coming in the tenth minute when attacking midfielder Darren Ambrose tested his luck from distance, Williams though was able to safely watch the effort fly over the top. The Addicks almost did take the lead three minutes later though when Ambrose crossed in from the left for Darren Bent, the England international striker seeing his close-range header from a tight angle at the back-stick hit the outside of Williams' post, the Blues keeper gratefully diving onto the loose ball.
United were struggling to make chances against a Premiership defence, Moroccan Talal El Karkouri being well positioned to clear away a Karl Hawley cut-back from the Charlton by-line after 15 minutes. Shortly afterwards, as the home side continued to pur forward in numbers, another seasoned international in Bulgarian Radostin Kishishev played a lovely ball down the right-hand channel and into the Carlisle box for Marcus Bent to take into his stride 12 yards out. Livesey had shadowed the Addicks frontman well though and was able to block his shot straight out for a corner.
The South Londoners would go close to opening their account after 18 minutes as well when a nice passing move saw Rommedahl cross in from the right. Faye racing in onto the centre only to send his downward header inches wide of the target from 12 yards out with Williams well beaten. Faye nearly scored at the other end as well two minutes later when Hawley's snapshot from the edge of the box deflected off him and out for a Cumbrians corner with Myhre completely wrong-footed.
Moments later, as the Blues were having one of their better spells in the game, Aranalde and Simon Hackney combined well as the Basque left-back played the ball into Hawley just inside the Addicks box. Hawley producing a neat lay-off with his back to goal to Chris Lumsdon in the middle of the Charlton 'D', the United schemer could only send his effort straight at an untroubled Myhre though.
After 27 minutes Lumsdon was involved at the other end of the pitch as he did well to get a block in on a goalbound effort from Darren Bent, Murphy also having to work hard to close down a Kishishev shot seconds later. The hosts couldn't have gone any closer to scoring bang on the half-hour mark though when they hit the United woodwork. Faye and Marcus Bent combining in a lovely passing triangle to set up ex-Ipswich Town man Ambrose on the left-angle of the Blues box. Ambrose sending a lovely right-footed curling effort across goal only to see his effort bounce off the top of the bar with Williams beaten.
The Cumbrians weren't always defending though and in the 31st minute Hawley could perhaps have done better when he headed an Arnison cross over the top from 12 yards out. Three minutes later Derek Holmes produced a nice touch to play the ball into the feet of Lumsdon from a Hackney pass. Once more though Lumsdon was unable to find the perfect finish to the move for the Blues and Myhre was able to watch his half-volley sail well over the Charlton crossbar. In the 36th minue though Lumsdon did test Myhre, albeit weakly, as the Norwegian keeper was able to easily collect his long-range effort.
Williams had to be sharp off his line in the 39th minute as Darren Bent showed his raw speed as he chased down an Ambrose ball through the middle. The Addicks striker did get to the ball first but United's Welsh glovesman did very well to spread himself and make an excellent parried save low down as the goal was gaping, fortunately for the Blues Murphy being the first player on hand to complete the clearance for Carlisle.
Livesey then being the Cumbrians defender called into action two minutes later when the pacey Darren Bent once more looked to break clear, the United centre-half making an excellent sliding tackle to concede a corner. The worries weren't over there though for the Blues as, from the flag-kick in by Ambrose, the ball broke out to Rommedahl, the Dane's sizzling 22-yard effort deflecting inches wide of the Carlisle far-post with Williams scrambling across his goal-line.
The next flag-kick in came to nothing and there was no more real action to the end of the half when the whistle was blown by referee Steve Tanner of Somerset, who officiated well throughout incidentally. The United players leaving the field to a chorus of "Neil McDonald's Blue And White Army" from the 1,018 strong travelling support, while Charlton trooped off down the tunnel with the boos of just 7,172 home fans, out of a paltry total attendance of 8,190 spectators in the Valley, ringing in their ears.
Bouyed up the noise of the travelling Blue Army Carlisle came out strongly after the break and were the better side early on. Four minutes in Lumsdon headed a deep Hawley cross in to the far-post back into the centre of the goalmouth, Holmes picking up on the loose ball and setting it back for the retreating Lumsdon 15 yards out. Once more the United man was off-target with his shot though as he dragged it wide of the near-post.
Kevin Gall struggled to get involved a lot on the night but he did have a chance of glory shortly afterwards when Hawley set him free down the right-hand channel, the opportunity was soon gone though as the ex-Yeovil man blazed his shot well over the Charlton crossbar from 20 yards out. The Addicks were soon on the attack again however in the 52nd minute when Rommedahl crossed into the Carlisle box, the ball striking the arm of a pretty much unsuspecting Aranalde, referee Tanner waving away the claims of the home side for a penalty.
After 55 minutes the Cumbrians went as close to scoring as they would do all night when they almost took a shock lead. Hawley doing well to hold the ball up with his marker Fortune at his back, the United striker then laying the ball off slap bang into the path of Murphy 22 yards out. Murphy sending a curling shot in with his left foot which beat Myhre all ends up only to strike the top of the bar and go out for an Addicks goal-kick.
It was a wake-up call for the sluggish hosts and seconds later Livesey once more had to be alert to get a quick block in on an Ambrose 18-yarder. That was short respite for the Blues though as the home side did take the lead only sixty seconds later on the 57 minute mark. Williams getting down well, as he was slightly unsighted by Hackney, to block a Rommedahl drive from 15 yards out in the right-hand channel. Darren Bent showed his predatory instincts in front of goal though when he toe-poked home the rebound at the far-post to out the home side 1-0 up.
United tried to level matters quickly bang on the hour mark but it was Gall again who was wasteful with the opportunity. Gall racing clear after being fed down the right-hand channel by Billy, only to flash his 20-yard right-footed shot across the face of Myhre's goal and out at the Norwegian keeper's far-post. Moments later, as the game went through a hectic patch, Rommedahl saw his long-range effort fly straight at Williams, then Darren Bent lashed an awful shot high into the stands after being sent clear in a one-on-one situation with the Cumbrians glovesman.
Shortly afterwards United boss Neil McDonald, the old right-hand man of Charlton manager Iain Dowie at Crystal Palace, made his first change of the night as he brought on Thirlwell for Holmes, Hackney then moving up into the front three. The home side were still making plenty of chances though as they looked to extend their lead and six minutes later Faye failed to cash in on a wonderful whipped cross in from Ashton, Darren Bent getting on the end of it only to head straight at Williams at the Carlisle far-post.
McDonald was up for the gamble now with the Blues somehow needing to find a late equaliser to take the game to extra-time, the ex-Bolton youth team boss making a double substitution as he replaced Gall with McDermott and brought on young Hindmarch for Lumsdon. Hindmarch got himself straight into the action too shortly afterwards when he got on the end of a Livesey knock-down, the 16-year old striker just about to pull the trigger when Kishishev nicked the ball off his toes.
Livesey had been doing far more work at the defensive end on the night though and he was once more called into action on 75 minutes when he had to intervene quickly to stop Darren Bent getting on the end of yet another cross into the Cumbrians box by the impressive Ambrose. The best chance of all for United to find an equaliser in the tie came and went in the 76th minute, McDermott and Hindmarch combining well to release Hawley down the right. Hawley checked back and stuck a lovely cross into Aranalde 15 yards out at the back-post but the Ibarra-born left-back could only skew his left-footed volley well wide of Myhre's goal.
A bodged up free-kick routine involving Rommedahl and El Karkouri left Dowie scratching his head on the touchline with ten minutes to go, the Charlton boss realising two minutes later that the time was right to make his first change of the match to liven things up again, youngster Osei Sankofa coming on in place of Kishishev. Shortly afterwards McDermott fouled Ambrose 22 yards out, Darren Bent curling the resultant free-kick inches over the top of the Carlisle crossbar with his right foot.
El Karkouri curled over from similar territory when a half-cleared free-kick fell to him sixty seconds later, with the home side coasting to the finishing line as they saw out the victory with relative ease. The last moment of note coming 30 seconds into the three minutes of time added on when Lisbie entered the fray in place of Marcus Bent. The final whistle coming soon afterwards on what had been a safe, if not too convincing, win for the home side as a hard-working United side made them earn the victory and their place in the Carling Cup third round draw on Saturday afternoon.
Post-match quotes :
Charlton boss Iain Dowie said :
"Sometimes people discredit the lower division teams, but Carlisle came here and played some good football and a huge amount of credit has to go to them. I felt it was a very important game for us tonight - I'd like to go all the way in this competition. We didn't pass the ball well enough but we created enough chances."
United manager Neil McDonald commented :
"No disrespect to our level but that is the difference between our level and the Premiership, give them one chance and they'll stick it in the back of the net. We've almost stopped them from having an out-and-out chance, seeing the whites of the goal all the time, this is the first chance that they've had and they've stuck it in the back of the net."
thetashkenttheory :
Well, you can't really complain about that I suppose, no injuries, no bookings and we come out of it with our head held high after a narrow defeat away to an established Premiership side. Goals have been the problem for the Blues this season though and you could see the quality that the home side have in their team in that area when their front three consists of Darren Bent, Marcus Bent and Dennis Rommedahl. All that attacking talent involved with Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink rested and Darren Lisbie reduced to a place on the substitutes bench, only conceding one goal under those circumstances away from home is no mean feat to be honest.
A good performance all round in the United team as well though, Chris Billy and Chris Lumsdon in particular working extremely hard in their efforts to break up the Addicks' attacking play. Still, League One is what it is all about for the Blues this season really and after three games on the road at Bradford, Nottingham Forest and Charlton in the last seven days the Blues will be overjoyed to get back to the sanctuary of Brunton Park. Two home matches in a row against Brighton and Blackpool on Saturday and Tuesday respectively giving United a great chance to, at least, consolidate their play-off position.