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That left Blues Paul Simpson with a real selection headache, the ex-Rochdale gaffer eventually deciding to leave skipper Kevin Gray off the bench in favour of the better forward play, from a centre-half, of Simon Grand, what a wise decision that would prove to be! So, taking to the field for the Blues in this huge LDV Northern Area final second leg tie were a back five of Keiren Westwood, Paul Arnison, Zigor Aranalde, Peter Murphy and Danny Livesey. Strung across the midfield Chris Lumsdon, Chris Billy and Adam Murray, Simon Hackney pushing ahead on the left-wing in a pretty much 4-3-3 formation with Derek Holmes and Karl Hawley upfront. Waiting in the wings on the bench were Grand, Anthony Williams, Brendan McGill, Glenn Murray and Mark Rivers.
Carlisle had worked like trojans for 90 minutes two weeks ago to gain a slender one-goal advantage on a bog of a Brunton Park pitch to take to the Moss Rose, but all that effort had gone just four minutes in as the Silkmen took the lead. Right-back Andrew Teague had already gone close with a header from a corner just sixty seconds earlier but, as the home side cranked up some early pressure, the Blues just did not heed the warning. A corner in from the right by Macc’ midfielder Paul Harsley made it’s way to the head of Teague eight yards out from goal on the near-post side. Arching his neck to get some power on a ball curling away from him Teague did excellently to send a pinpoint header into the top corner of the United net despite Westwood’s diving effort to save it. The ball going over the top of Chris Billy whose feet seemed to be glued to the pitch at the near-post, not exactly the ideal start.
Just two minutes on though and the Cumbrians almost found a rapid-fire equaliser through Hackney, who was looking for his fourth goal in four games. Adam Murray hit a long ball over the top which sent Hackney racing clear down the left and on into the Macclesfield box, steadying himself, he hit a cracking half-volley on his left foot which ex-Hull keeper Alan Fettis did well to parry out. The ball eventually finding it’s way back to the Ulster glovesman via a blocked Hackney follow-up.
After eleven minutes, following the first of many fouls by new Macclesfield signing Matty McNeil on Billy, stand-in skipper Murphy hit a deep free-kick up from the centre-circle. Holmes flicked it on to Hawley whose mishit effort went flying across to Lumsdon, the ex-Sunderland schemer trying to get a firm touch on the ball but he could only send it straight into the arms of Fettis.
It was soon the home pushing forward again though and four minutes later they again went close from a corner, won when Aranalde headed behind under pressure from Town midfielder Martin Bullock. From the resultant set-piece, taken by Harsley, one-time Blue David Morley rose well at the far-stick, his close-range header going inches wide. Another ex-United player in left-back Kevin Sandwith had a couple of extremely similar long-range free-kick efforts around the 20 minute mark which were both curled weakly straight at Westwood but it was a bit of a scrap in midfield momentarily as the game went through a quiet spell.
In the 23rd minute McNeil hit a good long-range pass which Bullock latched onto quickly, racing in from the right Bullock looked to pick out a Macclesfield shirt in the United box with a deliberate low ball in but Murphy was on-hand to hoof the ball away from the danger area. Shortly afterwards Hackney was inches away from bagging an equaliser for the Cumbrians when Adam Murray played him in 15 yards out on the left-hand side. The ex-Woodley Sports youngster smashed a fierce low drive in which flashed across the face of the Macclesfield goal past a seemingly beaten Fettis, only to whistle marginally wide of the far-post.
Carlisle tried to keep up the spell of pressure on the home side with a couple of corners which the Silkmen’s defence struggled to clear but just as you thought United were about to find a firm foothold on the game they were hit by a classic sucker punch on the break in the 28th minute. Harsley sent the ball in low from the right to central midfielder Kevin McIntyre who played a clever first-time pass through for the onrushing McNeil to take on into the United box down the right-hand channel. The 6’5 former van driver, perhaps an LDV one, took a quick touch before trying to steer the ball under the body of the approaching Westwood. Carlisle’s keeper did excellently to get a hand to the ball but it only sent it ballooning up in the air back to McNeil at the far-post who was able to slot home easily despite the close attentions of the backtracking Aranalde.
It was deja-vous all over again for the 2193 strong Blue Army, who made up 62% of the total attendance at the Moss Rose, as it brought back unhappy memories of the 3-0 first-half capitulation at Macclesfield in late January. It could have been worse as well by the 34th minute if it hadn’t been for Westwood making an outstanding triple save which, let’s be honest, kept the Blues alive in the competition. Firstly Harsley got a shot in from close-range from a McIntyre ball in which Westwood saved well, then he was up like a flash to make a superb point-blank stop from forward player John Miles. The ball bounced back out to Town's Bullock but United’s young stopper was there again to make a parried save from the shot flying in from the edge of the Carlisle box.
That close escape seemed to galvanise the efforts of the Blues players from then on and Westwood, in particular, was rightly fired up as play went up to the other end, the United keeper pumping his fists in front of the massed ranks of the Blue Army in an effort to get the Cumbrians going. In the 38th minute Murphy had to jog carefully off the pitch to be replaced by Grand, the Dubliner nursing a back strain which seemed to come on after an aerial challenge with the, at times, overly physical McNeil. Infact McNeil was so keen to make his presence felt on his debut that he was booked for persistent infringement by referee Mike Thorpe of Ipswich sixty seconds later, for the foul on Arnison which made it his fifth penalised challenge in the first-half alone.
In the 40th minute Billy tried to latch on to a Arnison free-kick which Morley had part-cleared to the edge of the Macclesfield box, but the United midfielder, who had just taken the captaincy off the departing Murphy, saw his left-foot drive fly just over the top of Fettis’ crossbar. That was just a taster for the Blues though as two minutes later Carlisle grabbed a vital goal back to bring the aggregate score completely level at 3-3 and one away goal apiece, the finish coming from that man Hawley yet again as he notched his 23rd strike of the season.
Adam Murray hit a deep long ball down the right-hand channel which the United striker used his pace to get onto and control just outside the Macclesfield box. Cutting inside Macc’ centre-half Danny Swailes on the right, Hawley went into the area and hit a low left-foot shot which seemed to be going nowhere but straight at Fettis, only for Morley to stick out a boot and deflect the ball into the corner of his own net as the Ulsterman stood rooted to the spot on his line.
A goal from nowhere really which had brought the Blues back from the brink of disaster and firmly back into the game. The home side put some pressure on for the remaining three minutes of the period plus the sixty seconds of injury time but the United back-line held firm to send themselves down the tunnel on the up, although sure to be facing a barrage from the Carlisle coaching staff.
Carlisle came out after the break having obviously got a serious flea in the air at half-time and the Blues looked a far better side in the second 45 minutes. The opening stages of the half were pretty sedate stuff though with United having gone to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation to try and negate the attacking play from central midfield of Town's Danny Whitaker and McIntyre. Both sides get a few crosses into the box but they were easily cleared by the defences as either team looked to made a strong start with chances at a premium.
It was the Cumbrians who had the first opportunity going forward though in the 52nd minute when Aranalde hurled one of his trademark long throws into the Macclesfield box after some good work on the left-wing by Hackney. Holmes got a great flick-on under pressure from Morley but Lumsdon just couldn’t get there properly in time and his left-foot effort was pulled well wide of the target as he stretched every sinew to reach the ball.
Hackney was causing Teague all kinds of problems down the United left now as he had one of the best spells of his short Carlisle career in a dazzling 25 minute display of magical wing-play. In the 55th minute he got away from his marker well and intelligently waited for Adam Murray to make his run into the back-post area. Putting the delivery in beautifully, as always, Hackney found the ex-Derby man sweetly but Murray’s first-time effort was well blocked by Whitaker who had worked hard to track back from midfield.
The game was swinging end-to-end now after the quiet start to the period and the visitors were next up to the plate when Miles, Bullock, and McNeil all combined well in a swift break. Just as new-boy McNeil looked to be getting a shot in though Livesey stood strong to make an important last-ditch challenge and see the ball away. Seconds later Hawley tried his luck from range after a good turn where he brought the ball down from a Holmes flick-on, it was a speculative effort with his right-foot though which never troubled Fettis in the Macclesfield goal.
Hackney was again in the thick of the play bang on the hour-mark when he jinked his way easily past Teague to the by-line and got a low cross in but Morley was on-hand to put the ball behind for a United corner and prevent Hawley from bagging a brace on the night. Just as Carlisle were looking odds-on to grab an equaliser they almost went two behind however with a shot that looked in all the way from the away end only to whistle seemingly inches past Westwood’s woodwork. Miles picked up on a loose ball on the left-hand side of the Cumbrians box and tried a curler with his right-foot across the United keeper who was left a worried spectator as the effort flashed past his far-post.
In the 62nd minute, Teague, clearly frustrated with Hackney skinning him every five seconds, sent the young Carlisle winger flying off his feet and into the advertising hoadings with a crude body check as the Blues wideman skipped past him once again. It was the kind of challenge that in a Sunday league game would certainly have brought a large bout of handbags and perhaps fisticuffs, referee Mike Thorpe correctly making the Macclesfield right-back his second booking of the night.
The official seemed to get it wrong six minutes later though when he, extremely harshly, denied the Cumbrians an equaliser. Westwood launched a huge goal-kick down the field which bounded on into the edge of the Town box, Hawley, Macc' keeper Fettis and Morley all challenged for the ball and it was Morley who looked to make the most contact with the big Ulsterman as Fettis fell to the ground. Hawley was quickly onto the dropped ball to put it into the net from 15 yards out but the man in black had already whistled for a supposed foul on Fettis by the United frontman.
After 70 minutes came the usual Carlisle substitution as Glenn Murray came on to replace the hardworking Holmes. Shortly afterwards Westwood did well to get down quickly in his goalmouth and cling on to a McNeil shot from the edge of the Blues area. Then sixty seconds later Maryport-born Murray went close with a side-footed effort from a cross by his namesake Adam which flew into the Macclesfield side-netting from six yards out with Fettis seemingly beaten.
Five minutes later it was that man Hawley again who was causing problems for the Silkmen’s back-line. Cutting in cleverly from the left-hand edge of the Town box past Teague then Morley he tried a quick effort with his right foot but he only succeeded in pulling it past Fettis’ near-post. In the 83rd minute Hawley was again getting a shot away as he turned Swailes nicely from a Hackney ball in, his effort was powerful but lacked direction from 12 yards out in the right-hand channel as it flew over the angle of the Town near-post and bar. That stoppage in play meant United boss Paul Simpson could use his final substitute as he brought on McGill for the impressive, but tiring, Hackney.
In the 85th minute the Blues seemed to have two clearcut appeals for penalties denied by the official, firstly Aranalde sent a free-kick in which Hawley headed towards goal, only for the ball to come flying off the hands off Morley and out for a Carlisle corner. Then to rub salt into the wounds shortly afterwards, Morley again clearly handled the ball when it came off his arm as he tried to control a McGill cross in which he was looking to punt upfield. Seconds later Lumsdon was booked for dissent as he took his protests too far, if only the official’s sight had been as good as his hearing. A minute later though and it was the Cumbrians who escaped a seemingly obvious penalty claim as a Bullock cross in from the right hit Aranalde on the arms, referee Mike Thorpe really wasn’t having a good night.
With two minutes left to go in normal time Town manager Brian Horton brought on Kevin Townson in a straight swap for Miles. It was the Silkmen who had the last opportunity to stop the tie going into extra-time as it was hearts in the mouths time for the Blue Army who were viewing the action away at the far end of the pitch. A Whitaker cross into the box in time added on called all sorts of confusion in the Carlisle box and both McIntyre and Bullock had mid-range efforts blocked as the hard-pressed United defence eventually smuggled the ball clear. That was the end of the action though as the final whistle blew to signal a leg-sapping 30 minutes of extra-time with the tie poised exactly even at 3-3 and one away goal for either side.
On a cold, wet and horrible night the last thing the United fans wanted was to spend an extra thirty minutes on an open terrace on a Tuesday night but it would be worth it in the end. The opening stages started quietly with both sides looking a little tense although it was Macclesfield who had the better of the early exchanges. Firstly Harsley fired over from range in the 92nd minute and then sixty seconds later a free-kick from Sandwith came out to Townson on the edge of the Carlisle box but he could only fire his effort wide of Westwood’s near-post.
In the 96th minute McGill made a good run down the Town left before cutting the ball back for the onrushing Lumsdon. The ex-Sunderland schemer saw his shot from 15 yards blocked by Morley, the ball bouncing back out to Billy whose shot was charged down by Swailes. Shortly afterwards, as the tempo really started to get going again, Whitaker and Bullock combined well with the latter seeing his cross put behind for a corner by the imperious Livesey, who seemed to win every header from the start of the second-half onwards.
One minute short of the century mark the Blues thought they had scored only for Fettis to pull off a wonderful save. Lumsdon’s corner in from the left was met by the head of Grand who nodded it back into the danger area, Livesey was first there but he was left disappointed as his goalbound close-range header was expertly tipped over by Fettis, who showed remarkably quick reactions. Hawley was the next to test the gloves of the big Ulsterman but his right-footed effort from 20 yards out was straight at Fettis and caused the Northern Ireland international keeper no problems.
After 102 minutes there were some relieved faces in the Carlisle ranks after a excellent low ball in from right by the impressive Bullock. Westwood and Lumsdon got themselves in a muddle, the ball coming straight to the left-foot of Whitaker, the chance of glory was too much for the Town central midfielder though and he could only blaze his effort well over the United bar, it was a big chance gone for the Silkmen that would come back to haunt them. The first half of extra-time came to an end with Hawley’s 18-yard shot deflected by Morley straight to a grateful Fettis, and then Morley himself having a header from a Macc’ corner cleared away from the United far-post by a well-placed Lumsdon.
The home side started quite strongly again at the start of the last fifteen minutes with the tie looking destined for a penalty shootout, but good Town corners in were dealt with well by Westwood and Livesey who were United’s men of the match on the night. Carlisle also looked dangerous from their own set-pieces though and in the 109th minute they made one of them count as they grabbed the all important second away goal that all but killed the tie and sent the Blue Army delirious in the soggy away end.
Lumsdon’s flag-kick from the Macclesfield right initially looked quite poor as it only arrowed in on the bounce to Grand who completely missed the ball with an attempted half-volley. Glenn Murray managed to control and it and fire in a volley on the turn which was well blocked in the middle of a crowded by penalty area by Town’s Teague. It was McGill’s go next as the ball came out to him on the right-hand side of the Macclesfield ‘D’, the diminutive winger firing in a fantastic right-footed effort across goal which came pinging back out off the underside of Fettis’ bar on the near-post side. After missing his chance moments earlier Grand this time showed the instincts of a striker as he followed McGill’s shot in on goal, the ex-Rochdale man was rewarded for that play when the ball came out to him six yards out. Checking back slightly to get a good connection he smashed an unstoppable half-volley with his left-foot into the roof of the Macclesfield net to send the Town players sinking to their knees and create scenes of bedlam in the packed away end.
You could see the home side visibly deflate from then on for a good five minutes as the stark realistion hit them that, due to the away goals rule, they now had to score twice in the last eleven minutes to make it to Cardiff. Almost immediately afterwards Macc’ boss Brian Horton made his second change of the match as he brought on attacking midfielder David Beresford for right-back Teague with the need to score goals now an extremely pressing issue for the home side.
There was still plenty of time for drama though when, after some resolute defending by the United back-line for the previous ten minutes, Macclesfield finally broke through in the 120th minute to produce a nervy ending to the game for the Blue Army. Adam Murray had done excellently to steal the ball from Sandwith down in the far-corner but instead of sticking his foot on the ball at the flag-stick he chose the wrong option and attempted to cross in to Hawley, Fettis taking the centre easily on the bounce. The Silkmen broke quickly with the fresh of legs of Beresford sending him racing past a tired Arnison down the left-hand side. The one-time Preston winger putting in a great low ball across the Carlisle six-yard line to where Townson had raced in to beat Grand to the ball and slot easily home past Westwood from just six yards out in a central position.
Only one minute of added time went up on the clock but after Livesey and McNeil had clashed heads, forcing a stoppage in play, it felt more like three minutes as the United faithful waited nervously for the final whistle. McNeil’s injury forced him off to be replaced by Andrew Smart while Livesey played on after treatment by Blues physiotherapist Neil Dalton, although he did need stitches in his head wound after the match. The late goal gave the home side a little bit of impetus but the Cumbrians were able to see out those last few moments with relative ease to seal victory in the tie on the away goals rule and set up another fantastic day out for the club at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday the 2nd of April.
thetashkenttheory :
Well that was one heck of a rollercoaster ride on the night. From being completely down in the dumps at 2-0 behind with only 28 minutes on the clock to the wonderful moment when Simon Grand shot home in the 109th minute to leave Macclesfield with the uphill task of needing to score twice in the remaining eleven minutes. Even then United did their old trick of still making life hard for themselves when they conceded in the closing stages of extra-time, and it certainly felt like a lot longer than two minutes until the final whistle went to signal another visit to Cardiff.
It was extremely hard work as well against a home side who have pretty much belied their league position three times this season against the Blues. Although if I was a Macclesfield fan I would be a little bit disappointed that my team can obviously raise their game for the big matches but then show less interest in the bread and butter world of a normal league encounter. They certainly pushed us all the way over the tie and gave us a far harder task than some of the League One sides we have beaten in the earlier rounds to get to this stage.
Their new signing from Hyde, Matt McNeil, caused us a few problems until he began to tire a bit in the second-half. He’ll have to watch his step though as he was lucky in some ways to only receive a booking for giving away seven or eight free-kicks and if he continues in that vein in the Football League he’ll be spending a lot of time serving out suspensions. For Carlisle, Hackney was simply outstanding in a 25 minute spell at the start of the second period with a dazzling display of old-fashioned wing-play. The youngster only fading out of the game after Andrew Teague had decided that the only way he could make Hackney stop him looking like a fool was to send him flying into the advertising hoardings with an extremely crude challenge.
It will be either Swansea or Colchester in the final for United at Cardiff, with the Swans currently 1-0 up after playing the first leg at home tonight. The second leg will be held in Essex in seven days time and it will be after that we can really start to look forward to the game, although there are many hard battles to go in the league before then, with the Carlisle players having eleven other cup finals to go in the league in their quest to win back-to-back promotions. Those games start in a huge clash with a very hard match away to a well-rested Northampton outfit on Friday night, the Cobblers having sat with their feet up while the Blues played 120 gruelling minutes of cup football.