Murray's Mint Finish Grabs LDV Victory

Glenn Murray

In the end he opted for a 4-4-2 formation with a back five of Keiren Westwood, Paul Arnison, Peter Murphy, Danny Livesey and Kevin Gray, while in the middle where Chris Lumsdon, Chris Billy, Aranalde and new boy Rivers. Paired back upfront were Derek Holmes and Karl Hawley with Adam Bradley, Glenn Murray, Adam Murray, Simon Hackney and Brendan McGill on an attack-minded bench.

It was pretty much all Carlisle in the opening stages as the visitors seemed to be setting their stall out for penalties from the get-go. In the fourth minute Hawley controlled the ball well to turn away from centre-half Daryl Burgess but his shot on goal from the edge of the box was well blocked by right-back Johnny Mullins.

Hawley was again at the centre of things three minutes later when he got away well down the left and pulled the ball back to Holmes eight yards from goal. Holmes got a quick effort in but Kidderminster keeper John Danby blocked the effort away with his legs.

The Blues missed a great chance in the 15^th minute when Lumsdon sent a lovely deep delivery into the back-post area. Livesey was on hand just six yards out to get a firm header in but sadly for United it went straight into the hands of an extremely grateful Danby, anywhere else on target and it was surely 1-0 to Carlisle.

In the 25^th minute Holmes and Hawley showed that they hadn’t lost any of their old know-how together when they linked up well, the end result being a mid-range drive with his left-foot that the big Scot hammered into the Kidderminster side-netting.

Bang on the half-hour mark and the Harriers finally got Blues keeper Westwood working. Central midfielder Gareth Sheldon worked a nice space for himself on the edge of the Carlisle box but his curling effort lacked power and proved to be an easy take for Westwood.

In the 33^rd minute Holmes went close to notching the opener from a United corner after Arnison and Rivers had combined well to win a corner. Murphy swung the flag-kick in from the right and Holmes was up at the back-post but his glancing header flew wide of Danby’s post.

Hearts were in the mouths of Blues fans in the 35^th minute though when Westwood nearly carried the ball into his own net. Harkness delivered a lovely curling corner right under the Carlisle crossbar, which Westwood initially tried to catch before sensibly palming the ball over the top as his momentum came close to carrying him over the goal-line.

Seconds later Billy hit a real rasper for United from fully 25 yards out but it was straight at Danby in the Harriers goal. It was the visitors however who had the next great opportunity and only an excellent save from Westwood kept the scores level.

Kidderminster central midfielder Simon Russell found himself in space in the box after an intelligent through ball from Harkness. Ex-Hull City man Russell sized up the opportunity and delivered a side-footed effort from ten yards out that looked destined for the bottom corner of the Carlisle net but for a full-length one-handed diving save from Westwood. It was a firm hand from the young glovesman and he was able to collect the ball close to his body.

The visitors were having perhaps their best spell in the game now and three minutes later left-sided midfielder Michael Blackwood showed some good skill to get past Arnison and lay the ball into Harriers top scorer Iyseden Christie. The play was then touched on to Sheldon but his shot from the edge of the box was weak and caused Westwood no problems as it looped tamely straight into his chest.

Just before half-time though and United really put the pressure on the Kidderminster goal. Aranalde was the first Blue stepping up to the plate as he shot past Danby from a part-cleared corner, the ball then striking Burgess who was stationed on the line to clear. A few Carlisle players appealed for a spot-kick for handball but it was hard to tell whether it was a good ask or not.

Shortly afterwards more good link-up play between Rivers and Hawley set up Arnison for one his typical long range over the bar blockbusters and true to form that’s where the ball went.The last chance of the half again fell to the Blues as Livesey once more sent a close-range header straight into the arms of Danby, this time from a Murphy free-kick in.

It had been a tough first-half as United had had by far the majority of the play but were unable to turn their possession into goals on the horrendously bobbly pitch against a resolute Kidderminster back-line. It would also prove to be a long time into the second period until that defence finally broke and Carlisle found the winner.

The Harriers though were the first club to force a real threat after the break when in the 51^st minute some good work by Harkness set up Sheldon on the edge of the United box but his powerful drive was always rising and flew well over Westwood’s bar.

Six minutes later a long throw by Aranalde found it’s way out to Billy in a central area, Billy took a touch on to set himself up but he only succeeded in pulling his drive wide off the target from 20 yards out. It was pretty dull fare though to be honest as Carlisle huffed and puffed in midfield while Kidderminster sat back hoping to score on a rare breakaway.

Bang on the hour mark Gray brought down Harkness after an attacking United move which then saw the Harriers free-kick lumped up into the Carlisle box. The ball broke across to Russell but his speculative first-time effort drifted wide of Westwood’s far-post from 15 yards. That was the signal for Blues boss Paul Simpson to replace Holmes with Glenn Murray as the Cumbrians looked to spice up their attacking options.

In the 62^nd minute referee Colin Webster from Shotley Bridge denied United one of the most blatant penalty appeals I’ve seen in a long time. Glenn Murray played the ball out to Aranalde on the left from where the Spaniard attempted to hit a cross into the Harriers box. Mullins was out to try and block the cross and as he raised his hands fully five yards away from Aranalde the ball came in and smacked him flush on his right arm. The officials must have been the only people in the ground who couldn’t see it though and play was waved on to howls of derision from 4321 of the 4432 strong crowd.

Two minutes later Rivers, who was visibly tiring on the heavy pitch, managed to find some space on the right to cross a lovely ball in which Glenn Murray was inches away from connecting with as the ball flew across the Kidderminster box.

After 68 minutes Arnison, who had been looking to bomb forward all night with little defensive duties to worry about, sent a deep ball into the centre of the box. Aranalde seemed to jump too it early for it though and the Spaniard could only send his header sailing way over Danby’s bar and into the empty Warwick Road End.

In the 71^st minute there was a big reshuffle in the United ranks when Simon Hackney came on to replace Rivers. Aranalde went to left-back, Murphy pushed up into central/left-midfield and Hackney went up on the left as the Blues went to an attacking 4-3-3 formation.

Kidderminster boss Mark Yates responded to the change in the 78^th minute when he brought loan signing from Watford, Francino Francis, on to make his second appearance for the Harriers. Russell was the man to make way as Francis went straight upfront.

A minute later some good approach work from Glenn Murray set up Hawley just inside the visitors box, but as it had been all evening, space in the Kidderminster box was at a premium and Carlisle's top scorer could only fire his shot wide under pressure.

United really pushed on now as they searched for a winner that would save their legs from a sapping 30 minutes of extra-time. With eight minutes to go Lumsdon found Glenn Murray in space who in turn laid the ball on to the marauding Hackney on the left edge of the Kidderminster box. Hackney smashed a pacey shot in with his trusty left peg but it flew just inches over Danby’s bar as the Blues just couldn’t seem to find the breakthrough despite pounding the Harriers goal.

After 85 minutes it was despair again for Blues players and fans alike as United had a goal disallowed. A quick short corner between Lumsdon and Hackney saw the ex-Sunderland schemer whip the ball in to the near-post. Hawley had made the run in first and got a lovely glancing header to the cross which flew beyond Danby and into the net from six yards out. Celebrations were soon cut short though when the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside, although resultant pictures would suggest that a couple of Kidderminster players were playing the Carlisle hitman a yard onside.

A minute later Hackney scooted away down the left as he somehow managed to run with the ball down the flank as it bounced and bobbled away in front of him. Cutting in from the left he hit a powerful low cross which neither Glenn Murray or Hawley could connect with as the ball flew across them. Sixty seconds later though and that breakthrough finally came to the huge relief of the Brunton Park crowd as United went 1-0 up through a cracking finish from Glenn Murray.

The much-maligned Billy played a lovely slide-rule pass through the heart of the retreating Harriers defence and into the feet of Glenn Murray. United’s gangly striker then took a clever touch on with his left-foot to set him racing free of Burgess who was desperately chasing to back cover. Murray hit his shot early though with his left-foot from the edge of the Kidderminster box and he got a great connection on it as it flew across Danby and into the far bottom corner of the net to finally bring a much deserved goal for the Blues.