The tiny Lawn ground had at least double the usual attendance packed inside. Paul Simpson, as expected, stuck with the same starting XI as Northwich on Tuesday with new signing Magno Vieira on the bench. Tom Cowan had to make a good interception to stop Mark Beesley in the fourth minute as the game began rather cagily. United moved upfield and forced two corners in succession which came to nothing. Lumsdon had a free kick blocked as the early play was rather scrappy. Holloway then shot wide after Cowan failed to head clear. The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute when Preece ran upfield and hit a shot that took a deflection and beat keeper Perrin in his top corner to put the Cumbrians one-up. Cowan got a knock and had to receive treatment off the pitch. Preece dropped back to partner Kevin Gray at centre-half. After a gap of three minutes Cowan returned wearing a new shirt without name or number. A rule change forcing bloodied players to change shirts being the reason. Preece nodded down dangerously on 34 minutes but Jon Richardson cleared to concede a corner. Gray met the far post ball but was unable to convert the chance. Charlie Griffin produced a low cross that Murphy had to block to concede a corner on 39 minutes. Close to the interval Tom Gould hauled down Hawley? and was booked. Murphy's curled free-kick dipped just too late to slip under the bar. Carlisle looked to up their game a bit at the start of the second half, knowing a second goal might be needed to make the game safe. Then Griffin and Beesley almost caught the Cumbrians napping and Murphy was forced to head off the line from Griffin's effort. Billy almost forced a mistake out of Perrin who clung on to a cross as Billy went in on the line to challenge. Glennon was forced into a tip around from an angled Beesley shot on 61 minutes. Magno Vieira's moment arrived moments later when he came on for Preece. Roca went on a strong run down the middle but failed to notice an unmarked Vieira and chose to shoot from distance, wasting the opportunity. The tricky winger made another impressive run moments later and was upended by Alex Sykes, bringing a yellow card. On 73 minutes Roca was taken off and replaced with Craig Farrell. A swift break by Murphy led to a shot that Perrin could only parry and there was Vieira to slot home a welcome debut goal. Hawley set up Farrell on his left foot and a goal gaped but the out-of-touch striker pushed it well wide. Vieira had another effort with seven minutes left but Perrin saved well. The icing was on the cake when Farrell laid on the ball for Murphy to fire a left footed effort well beyond Griffin into the corner of the net. Brown could have pulled a goal back but Glennon did well to save as the game entered its closing minutes. Cowan got a booking in stoppage time. Al's verdict: A rather scrappy first half, but this game got more comfortable for United as it went on. There were few good openings in the opening 45 minutes but it sounded like our greater fitness may have made a difference in the closing stages and Simmo's substitutions worked well with Vieira netting a debut goal. Murphy's strike should give him confidence after a scratchy start and losing the captaincy. There will be tougher tests than Forest Green to come, but this result has set us up nicely and we should now climb the table. |
