Oat-So Easy As United Crush Quakers

"Bridgey"

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson made only one, enforced, change to the side which had tasted success at the Cobblers, Adam Murray, who had apparently been struggling with illness on Friday being left out of the sixteen. Club captain Peter Murphy moved up into midfield from his normal defensive role and had an impressive game on the left-hand side of the middle three. So, for the Cumbrians that meant a starting back five of Keiren Westwood, Paul Arnison, Zigor Aranalde, Kevin Gray and Danny Livesey. Across the centre of the park were Chris Billy, Chris Lumsdon and Murphy, with Michael Bridges playing just off a front two of Derek Holmes and Karl Hawley.

The Quakers, meanwhile, were missing influential midfielder Clark Keltie through suspension and David Duke and Phil Stamp due to injury. Their cause wasn't helped either by Keltie's replacement, Matty Appleby, injuring his ankle in the prolonged warm-up and having to be left out of the game, Joe Kendrick coming in for the ex-Oldham man.

Injury concerns for the home side were of no interest though to the 3,549 travelling Blues fans who roared their team on throughout however. They had an extra 30 minutes to do that as well when the kick-off was delayed until 3.30pm due to an A66 tailback of a mile and a half, full of cars from Cumbria. It was generally a pretty quiet start to the game as Darlington saw a lot of the ball without looking at all capable of doing anything with it while United got into a bit of habit of hitting the long pass against a tall Quakers back-line.

Infact it took until the tenth minute for the first real chance of any note to come, and it was a good one from a United perspective. Holmes and Bridges combined well before the latter sent an incisive ball into the feet of Hawley 15 yards out from the Darlington net. Hawley did well to take a good touch and roll his marker, in one-time Halifax man Matt Clarke, but he could only send his right-footed shot straight into the arms of keeper Sam Russell in the middle of the goal when either corner would surely have seen the Blues go 1-0 up.

The Quakers did get some reasonable crosses into the United box at times although the on-loan forward pairing of Jemal Johnson and Andy Cooke, from Blackburn and Bradford respectively, never really looked like getting on the end of any them. It was causing some problems for Carlisle out wide though with Russell constantly hitting his goal-kicks to the flanks in an effort to find the wingbacks employed in the home side's 5-3-2 formation. After twelve minutes a cross from one of the wingbacks, in Joe Kendrick, whipped across the face of the Cumbrians goal with little threat and then shortly afterwards Jemal Johnson was unlucky to see his 15-yard cross-shot fly narrowly wide of Westwood's far-post.

After 18 minutes an Aranalde long throw-in from the left was headed out and straight back to the Spaniard by the Quakers' Dutch centre-half Shelton Martis. Aranalde didn't bother taking a touch as he tried his luck with a speculative half-volley on his left-foot from fully 30 yards out, from that range though it never had enough power and Russell was able to gather it comfortably at his near-post.

Three minutes later a cross into the Carlisle box from ex-Leeds youngster Simon Johnson was well cleared by Livesey on the edge of the area and United broke quickly to the other end of the pitch via Holmes and Bridges. Just as he was about to make his way into the Darlington box Bridges was tripped by Quakers midfielder Jonjo Dickman, the Carlisle man thinking about playing on until realising the ball was out of his reach and then playing for the free-kick. Bridges got up to hammer the set-piece in with his right-foot from inches outside the 18-yard line, the effort almost went through a collapsing wall but just took a nick off Simon Johnson to fly out for a Blues corner.

United's delivery in from set-pieces seemed pretty poor throughout the first-half to be honest, with every ball in going far close to Russell in the Darlington goal. After seeing Russell's performance after the break it does make you wonder just how many goals the Blues could have scored if they could have put some more pressure on a shell-shocked Russell.

With 25 minutes on the clock Jemal Johnson worked a chance well for the home side as he tried a shot with his right-foot from 20 yards out, the ball, fortunately for the Blues, flicked up off the boot of Livesey and became an easy catch for a grateful Westwood. Shortly afterwards, Arnison, who had another solid game for United at right-back, got up the flank well to send a nice cross in for Holmes, but the big Scot could only head it well wide of Russell's far-post.

Bang on the half-hour mark Westwood put his body on the line, as he would have to do again early in the second-half. The young keeper diving in amongst flying feet to take a Martis header on goal from a corner in by ex-Middlesbrough man Robbie Stockdale, currently on-loan at Darlington from Hull City. Play swung straight up to the other end of the pitch when Hawley made some good room for himself on the edge of the Quakers box, his shot taking a deflection off Martis and going behind for a United corner. Holmes' header from the inswinging Lumsdon flag-kick was headed off the line by Stockdale but referee Andy Hall of Birmingham had already blown his whistle for a foul by Gray on Russell in the Darlington goalmouth.

Carlisle were starting to find a good foothold in the game now as they began to get the ball on the floor a bit more and look more dangerous on the break. Bridges showed some neat footwork in the 37^th minute when he took on a rapidly retreating Martis before firing in a drive from long-range which Russell was able to take easily as the effort went straight at him. It was the unlikely figure of Arnison who was next up to the plate for a long-ranger for the Blues but the ex-Hartlepool man pulled his effort across goal from the right-hand side and it went well wide of Russell's net.

Another unlikely man in a forward area for United was Gray in the 41^st minute as Holmes and Hawley worked the ball well from a trademark Aranalde long throw. Play came back out to Gray, from Hawley, a good 20 yards out but Carlisle's skipper didn't connect too well with his attempted piledriver and could only send it slicing away over the angle of post and bar with the side of his left-foot. Gray's time would soon come though.

The home side went as they close as they would all afternoon to scoring though only sixty seconds later when they hit the United woodwork. A pass across the front of the United defence from Neil Wainwright found Simon Johnson in the middle of the Carlisle 'D', Johnson's shot seeming innocuous enough initially, until it bobbled on beyond the grasp of a diving Westwood, eventually bouncing away off the young keeper's far post. That was probably the biggest moment in the game to be honest as three minutes after they could have been 1-0 up Darlington suddenly found themselves 1-0 down through a soft-looking Carlisle goal.

Wainwright, playing in an unaccustomed central midfield position, brought down Lumsdon ten yards inside his own half to give away a free-kick to the Blues. There was a bit of head tennis in the home box until Martis headed clear and Hawley laid the ball back to Aranalde. The Spaniard then sent in another deep ball which Holmes headed on into the danger area where Livesey was a bit lucky to get away with high feet as he hooked the ball up in the air off the nose of Kendrick just six yards out. With Martis and Kendrick both having gone to the ball that left Gray stood all alone to nod easily home past Russell from only four yards out to send the Blue Army into delirium.

Just before half-time is always a great time to score, especially minutes after you have dodged a bullet at the other end. Only a minute of added time went up on the clock and it was the Carlisle players who headed off down the tunnel with renewed vigour and a spring in their step while the Darlington lads trooped away wondering what might have been after having a lot of possession in the first-half.

The second half got underway with the majority of the Blue Army realising that, holding a threadbare one goal lead, United needed to come out and quickly stamp their authority on the game to stop the home side getting any kind of momentum going. The reality couldn't have been much different though as Carlisle went through perhaps their worst period of the match with the home side again putting plenty of pressure on the United back-line with their crosses in from the flanks.

Infact only 80 seconds after the break and the Quakers went close. Billy gave the ball away dreadfully in the midfield of the park with a blind pass across that went straight to Wainwright 30 yards out from the Carlisle goal. The Darlington midfielder fancied his chances from distance but it was a definite let-off for the Cumbrians as his right-footed effort flew well wide. Just over four minutes later and they would go even closer after a good old-fashioned goalmouth scramble.

Livesey brought down Kendrick in an extremely dangerous area right on the edge of the left-angle of the Carlisle box. Martis hit a side-footed effort from the resultant set-piece which Westwood fumbled as it took a nasty hop up off the bobbly pitch in front of him. Bodies then seemed to be everywhere as the ball ran free in the United goalmouth, with Murphy, Aranalde and Westwood all desperate to prevent Cooke or Clarke getting a finishing touch in for Darlington from literally inches out. The United keeper was there first though as Cooke came in milliseconds later to connect with Westwood's neck as the Blues keeper clung on to the ball with both hands. A handbags melee ensued as Carlisle were awarded a free-kick for the robust challenge, Cooke also being yellow carded as Westwood received attention from United physiotherapist Neil Dalton.

The game went through a quiet spell again for ten minutes or so after that flurry of action with both teams battling for possession in midfield. Darlington's only real danger was again coming through the wing play of Simon Johnson but too often he put a good ball in which no Quakers player had gambled to get on the end of. In the 57^th minute Kendrick was booked for a poor and late challenge on Murphy, the Dubliner himself going close for the Blues sixty seconds later when he sent a 20-yard drive just wide of Russell's far-post with his trusty left foot, good work from Bridges and Lumsdon having created the chance for Murphy.

Just four minutes later though and the game was all but over the home side as Carlisle broke the game wide open with two goals in just 158 seconds. Grabbing the second goal of the day for United was Holmes who pounced after some comedy goalkeeping by Russell. Clarke laid a bog-standard looking back-pass to the Darlington keeper, after Russell's initial goal-kick had been headed forward well by Lumsdon for United, who looked to have plenty of time to complete a seemingly easy clearance. The ball took a bit of a bobble though just as Russell was about to hoof clear and spun up wickedly off the side of the young keeper's boot straight to Holmes, who had chased the back-pass in, on the left-hand angle of the six-yard box. The big Scot didn't have time to take a touch with the ball about to spin away from him and he just managed to wrap his foot around it enough to send into the back of the Darlington net off the inside of the near-post.

That goal signalled the first substitution of the match as Quakers boss David Hodgson looked to find a comeback from his side with the ineffective Stockdale being replaced by one-time Huddersfield striker Akpo Sodje. The home side were soon looking for three goals from their forward-line to get something from the game when shortly afterwards Bridges made it 3-0 to Carlisle with an excellent individual effort.

A great passing move from the United back-line to the front-line saw the ball eventually end up at the feet of Bridges from Holmes 22 yards out from the Darlington goal. Some wonderful footwork from the ex-Leeds man then saw him completely bamboozle Sodje and Clarke on his way into the left-edge of the Quakers box before he unleashed a powerful effort with his right-foot into the far corner of Russell's net, via the outstretched hands of the Darlington keeper. It was yet another Bridges goal out of nothing and it completely knocked the stuffing out of a home side that looked completely beaten from the moment that strike hit the back of their net.

Another spell of midfield battling in the game came to the fore as Darlington seemed to take time to adjust to the shock of going 3-0 down so quickly with United happy to soak up what little pressure the Quakers could muster. In the 71^st minute another poor challenge resulted in one more yellow card for a frustrated home side as Simon Johnson went in the book for a crude tackle on Billy, the United enforcer clearly angry with Johnson after the incident. Shortly afterwards the normal 'Holmes off' substitution came with the pacey Hackney coming on and looking to a run a tired Darlington back-line ragged.

Seconds later and it was the turn of the Blues to rattle the woodwork as Gray hit the outside of a post from a corner. Lumsdon curled the flag-kick in from the right to centre of the box where Livesey's header on goal was going narrowly wide. Gray managed to stretch his right-leg to get to the ball at the back-stick though, but from two yards out at a very narrow angle he could only watch as the ball came flying back past his ear off the Darlington post. Glenn Murray came on for Bridges in the 74^th minute as the scorer of United's third goal left the field to a rapturous reception.

It could have been 3-1 to the Blues and a more interesting finish to the end of the game though in the 76^th minute when Westwood made an outstanding flying save from a Wainwright effort. Picking the ball up 30 yards from the Carlisle goal, after Billy had given the ball away, the Quakers midfielder ran in a couple of strides before unleashing a curling shot with his right-foot that was into the top corner all the way. Westwood thought otherwise though as his left-hand seemed to come from nowhere to push the ball away from the net and away for a corner, a stunning save from a young keeper who seems to improve with every game.

With ten minutes left to go in a game that the home team just wanted to end Darlington brought on another lamb to the slaughter when, making his debut after being promoted from the youth team ranks, Mark McCloud came on to replace the outgoing Dickman. Just sixty seconds later Hawley looked to notch his 25^th goal of the season but his angled 20-yard drive from a Billy through ball whistled inches past Russell's far-post with the Quakers keeper rooted to his line.

The game seemed to be petering out into a tame finish with United easily holding on to a 3-0 lead against a tepid forward-line, there was certainly little sign of the late excitement to come. In the 86^th minute Hawley was replaced upfront by Blues centre-half Simon Grand, much to the pleasure of Carlisle assistant manager Dennis Booth. Hackney then received a somewhat bizarre booking a minute later as he was clearly being hauled back first by right wing-back Ryan Valentine, only for the official to amazingly award the free-kick in Darlington's favour. It looked like Hackney was yellow-carded for timewasting, as opposed to the "foul", after he put a cross into the Quakers box when the whistle had already been blown.

After 88 minutes the Blues made the score 4-0 against a home side that had completely given up the ghost by that point. Hackney and Aranalde combined well on the left as the latter set-up Glenn Murray on the very edge of the Quakers box. Turning Martis well in a central area Murray hit what looked like a well-placed but weak shot on goal with his right-foot, Russell was half-asleep on his line though and went down in instalments as the ball trickled past him and into the corner of the Darlington net.

Like every game the Cumbrians have hammered opposition in this season, United kept pouring forward in their search for more goals, and one more did come in the last minute through makeshift striker Grand. Westwood humped a huge goal-kick down the middle which Martis failed to boot away as Glenn Murray and Grand both homed in on the ball on the bounce, covering Darlington man McCloud offering little support to his beleaguered centre-half either. Russell had wandered too far off his line as he looked to rectify the situation and was left in no-mans land as Grand got to the ball first to head over the top of him from just inside the Quakers box. The Darlington keeper did manage to get a hand to the ball but he couldn't keep out it and it simply skimmed off the top of his glove and into the bottom of the net to make the score a slightly flattering 5-0 to United.