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Own goals from Danny Livesey and Zigor Aranalde wrapped up the victory for Rovers, with Junior Agogo sealing the points with more or less the last kick of the match.
After United's superb start to the season where they were second in the table after eight games the Blues' form has collapsed shipping eight goals in three straight defeats. Infact, neither team offered any indication that they could be promotion candidates and, on this showing, both will be happy to escape the drop.
It was all change for the Cumbrians from the kick-off as we were treated to another new formation and some different personnel. David Beherall replaced Paul Arnison at right-back and Keiren Westwood took the place of Anthony Williams between the sticks.
The midfield and forward line lined up in a 3-3 formation with the fit-again Derek Holmes partnering Karl Hawley upfront and new-boy Alan O'Brien, signed on loan for a month from Newcastle just two days earlier, pushing up on the left-hand side of the front two.
Peter Murphy took the starting berth on the left of midfield with Chris Billy and Adam Murray taking the other two spots as Brendan McGill was left out of the side. The diminutive Irishman had earlier failed a fitness test after taking a knock in training on Thursday.
O'Brien almost had a dream debut as early as the third minute. Holmes headed an Adam Murray ball to the back-post across goal to Murphy whose touch on the volley clipped the inside of the post. The ball fell kindly back out to O'Brien on the penalty spot but his goalbound header was knocked away to safety by Rovers defender Aaron Lescott.
It only took the Newcastle man four minutes longer to open his league account though as after yet another bright start at home United took the lead. Adam Murray played a hopeful ball through which Steve Elliott looked to have covered for the Pirates before he slipped on the greasy surface following a shower of rain. O'Brien didn't need asking twice as he easily outpaced Craig Hinton to slot home past Gas keeper Scott Shearer from eight yards out.
With the United fans singing for their new hero, the Cumbrians dominated for the rest of the half but as we've seen all too often they couldn't make their pressure count on the scoresheet and were made to pay for it in the end.
Hawley was unlucky not to get on the end of a Holmes cross as United looked to turn the screw and O'Brien looked dangerous every time he picked the ball up for the Blues. The Irishman looks a good signing but he can only do anything when the ball is played to him at his feet, sadly he saw little of the ball from around the 20 minute mark as Carlisle again resorted to lumping the ball down the middle of the pitch at every given opportunity.
Rovers came back well into the game as United struggled to hold on to possession. Three players in midfield left us one short as the Gas constantly picked up all the loose balls in the centre and Holmes and Hawley looked to be on a different wavelength as they spent as much time challenging each other for the long balls in the air as they did the Pirates back-line.
United had a good chance on the 39 minute mark as they won a free-kick near the left edge of the area following a foul on Hawley. Aranalde stepped up to hit it but his weak left-footed effort was easily gathered low down by Shearer.
The Blues had a lucky escape at the other end three minutes later following some hesitant defending. Beherall headed an excellent Chris Carruthers croos up in the air at the back-post but striker Richard Walker could only blaze his volley wide as United went in one goal to the good at the break.
It was the away side who came out strongly after the break and missed a golden opportunity to level early on. Junior Agogo played in a lovely ball from the left-hand side to Justin Walker six yards out but the Rovers frontman could only guide his header wide of the post.
The Gas were coming on strong now as United sat back and resorted to aimless boots upfield and when the equaliser finally did come it was the Blues who inadvertently scored their second of the day.
Ali Gibb, a thorn in Carlisle's side all day, crossed in only for keeper Westwood to punch and Livesey was helpless as the ball bobbled off him and into the unguarded net, it was another soft goal to concede for the Blues and their confidence visibly disappeared from then on.
Glenn Murray replaced the tiring Holmes after 64 minutes as United looked to inject some life into their lacklustre forward play but the change made little difference in the end and it was Rovers who again looked more potent as an attacking force, Agogo heading over in the 69th minute when well placed.
Raphael Nade replaced Hawley in the 72nd minute as the left-footed O'Brien ended up on the right-wing in a vice-versa role with Nade, Glenn Murray being the lone man in the middle. It was a tactic that left a few United fans scratching their heads and one which paid little dividend. O'Brien swung in some good crosses from the right but the Blues players were reticent to take a gamble on running in on the ball and most of them went to waste. A shot from Glenn Murray sailing well over the bar was one of the few attempts that United actually had on goal.
Kevin Gray, who has been struggling recently with a broken bone in his foot, was turned inside-out and back again as Agogo cruised past him and hit in a shot which Westwood did well to parry in the 79th minute and it was only three minutes later that Rovers took the lead.
This time it was Aranalde's turn to put the ball in his own net when he got in the way of Agogo's mis-hit shot only to see it ping off him and into the net past a wrong-footed Westwood. It was cruel luck for United who seem to be getting few breaks at the moment but they do say sides make their own luck in football.
Chris Lumsdon replaced Billy in the 82nd minute as United now found themselves looking for an equaliser in another game which they had taken the lead in.
With Carlisle looking bewildered and lost and the clock running out, they were soon conceding again, only this time they could not blame themselves as they were hit on the break for a Rovers third.
Deep into injury time Lescott played a through ball over the top to Agogo who lifted the ball over the onrushing Westwood from 30 yards out into an empty net to send the 225 travelling Rovers fans into delirium.
At the whistle, United were booed off by the sections of the crowd that had remained until the bitter end as Rovers celebrated a much needed win.
Post-match quotes :
Bristol Rovers caretaker manager Paul Trollope said after his side's victory :
"We're delighted with the performance. I'm disappointed with their goal but after that we were the best side.
"I had belief in all the players and eventually we got exactly what we deserved. Junior Agogo and Richard Walker are the best forwards in the division and everyone knows what they can do."
United player-boss Paul Simpson said:
"My biggest concern was the way we lost. Our performance was well below what I expect. It was a great start and Alan O'Brien took his goal very well, he's got pace to burn and I told the players I wanted him to be sick of the sight of the ball.
"We did that for five minutes until we got the goal but then we stopped."
thetashkenttheory :
So where we do go from here? Apart from Oxford on Friday obviously it's hard to guess. Any side that concedes ten goals in it's last four games is always going to end up with problems.
A defence that looked so solid in the opening stages of the season is now falling to pieces in front of our eyes and the time has surely now come to rest the out-of-form Kevin Gray and replace him with Simon Grand.
The forward line continues to look ineffective with none of the trio of Derek Holmes, Raphael Nade or Glenn Murray looking the answer to our goalscoring problems. We have to find someone to put the chances away on a regular basis or the few chances we do create will continue to go to waste.
Things need to be turned round quickly if our excellent start is not to go completely down the pan or we'll find ourselves in another relegation battle. Rovers were only an average side yet they went away with the three points easily in the end and that is the most worrying thing.
On a more positive note Alan O'Brien made an impressive debut and while he looks the type to wait for the ball rather than find it he has pace to burn. Sadly though that pace becomes a useless weapon if the young winger finds himself watching 40-yard balls being punted down the middle for 90 minutes.