A large Carlisle contingent of well over 1,000 was in place at one end of the Shay ground, with expectations high after the 51-year best of the 7-0 win over Farnborough three days earlier. The total attendance was given as 2,696, double the size of Halifax's previous attendance for the Barnet match. Halifax made a good start and Craig Midgley brought a good save out of Matty Glennon in the fourth minute with a low shot. Murphy put in a good cross that Preece met with a header for United that brought a save from the Town keeper. Brian Shelley made an error when he allowed Ryan Sugden in with a weak header. Sugden fired wide when through on Glennon. A Vieira shot from distance didn't trouble Ian Dunbavin who collected comfortably. A Dean Howell cross found Ryan Sugden and Sugden's shot was pushed over the bar by the busy Glennon. Brendan McGill was a hero in the 15th minute when he cleared a Sugden effort off the line. Halifax were doing all the work in midfield and Carlisle were struggling to get a grip. Both Hawley and Vieira had half openings but chances for the Cumbrians were few and far between. Murphy put in a silky run down the middle of the park on 35 minutes and saw his deflected shot go over the bar for a corner. Preece lobbed well over the bar with 5 minutes to the interval. United were the happier at the break with the scoresheet blank. Town had been busier and more productive in midfield and the United attack had had few chances to make headway. Vieira began the second half on a high note when he cut in well and shot at Dunbavin, who pushed the ball aside for a corner. Chris Lumsdon collected an untimely booking for a foul on Lewis Killeen. United were suddenly very much back in the game as they forced more corners with some timely pressure. From Lumsdon's kick Kevin Gray got a good header in and Dunbavin blocked it on the line with an instinctive stop. Preece played the ball into Hawley who made a good turn on the edge of the box and produced a fierce left foot shot that Dunbavin pushed away for another corner kick. The game was beginning to boil over and the referee waved a yellow card at Howell. Murphy's corner met the head of Hawley on 63 minutes and Dunbavin made another good juggling save to deny the United striker. Mark Monington shoved Preece and joined the others in the ref's notebook. Murphy's powerful shot hit a defender and earned another corner as the Cumbrians kept the pressure firmly on the home goal. Hawley worked a chance for McGill who fired narrowly wide of the far post as United looked the livelier and more dangerous side. Against the run of play Town made the breakthrough on 71 minutes when Howell found space and put in a high cross that Monington reached with his forehead to put the home team ahead. Within seconds of the goal a Murphy challenge incurred the referee's wrath and he produced a yellow. Carlos Roca replaced Vieira with 14 minutes left. The substitute put in a lovely cross within two minutes and Preece headed back towards Hawley but Dunbavin smothered well. The equaliser arrived on 82 minutes when Lumsdon's corner found McGill at the far side of the box and Hawley slotted home his fifth goal of the campaign from the winger's ball in. The game swung dramatically in United's favour three minutes later when Hawley set up Preece who turned superbly to drive the Cumbrians in front. Within seconds amazingly it was all square again. A defensive fiasco allowed Steve Bushell the Shaymen's skipper to turn the ball home. Roca's shot was headed out by Monington as United tried to grab the winner. Roca made another run in injury time and Billy's shot was blocked. Al's verdict: A draw was a fair enough result, but like Northwich, all three points were there for the taking and another bad goal cost us. Whatever Simmo said at half-time must have done the trick as the second half display was a lot better. Defensively there are still a few questions to be answered as the home team had not really threatened Glennon in the second half when Monington won a header that the keeper should probably have come out for. The Hawley-Preece partnership is really looking good now and their tally of nine league goals tells its own story. All in all, a reasonable result that keeps our unbeaten run going. Burton are struggling so Saturday should bring more joy. |
