With Chris Lumsdon and Simon Grand suspended, Kevin Gray was back at the heart of defence, for the first time since the victory over Woking on December 18, also the date of United's last league win. Kieren Westwood kept his place in goal, with Matty Glennon on the bench. United forced some early pressure with Magno Vieira and McGill both prominent. Borough though forced the first corner in the fifth minute. Darryn Stamp, scorer of both goals at Brunton Park last week, was unmarked but headed over. Carlisle's first corner kick came in 11 minutes. Murphy's kick was half-cleared to Billy but his effort was so far off target it disappeared out the ground. 19 minutes in Murphy stunned the home side with a curling free kick that deceived the keeper Julian and went into the corner of the net. Stevenage responded with three rapid corners, the last of which saw Dannie Bulman volleying narrowly wide of the left post. Top scorer Anthony Elding tried his luck but Gray got in a good block. Livesey was struck in the face from a full-blooded shot and needed treatment as play re-started with a drop ball. A Vieira run from the left flank set up Hawley but the Cumbrians' top scorer screwed horribly wide when United could have doubled their lead. Vieira forced a corner from which Gray headed wide. Hawley broke through and shot wide as the game moved into the final seconds of normal time in the opening half. Rob Quinn was booked for dissent. Elding came close to levelling things moments later when Westwood came out and blocked with his feet. Vieira got into a good position to cross but Murphy's header was a yard wide. The half-time whistle blew with the Cumbrians very satisfied to have their noses in front. Big Derek Holmes nodded down to almost set up McGill two minutes into the second period. Carlisle suffered a blow when Cowan had to go off moments later to be replaced by Paul Arnison. Billy went in a bit too roughly on 51 minutes but avoided a booking. Vieira was added to the notebook for a touch of verbals. Hocking's corner found Westwood flapping and Stamp nodded wide. Arnison tried a dipping shot on 70 minutes that Julian punched away with some difficulty. Gray hacked away a dangerous looking Borough free kick as United held firm. Livesey hacked off the line from a Dino Maamria header as the home pressure increased. The conditions were worsening as wintry rain came down on the Broadhall Way pitch. Subsitute George Boyd made a fine run and then blasted wide with his left foot with 12 minutes on the clock. A Hawley shot was deflected over the bar for a corner after a clever ball in from Arnison. Westwood juggled a corner kick but clung on as the minutes ticked by and Stevenage kept up the pressure. Boyd put in a ball that Livesey sliced over to concede another corner. This time from the kick it was Westwood punched out and Boyd drilled in via a deflection to grab the equaliser. It was all Stevenage now and Brady forced another corner with four minutes remaining. A headed deflection meant another corner. Boyd fired in a sizzler that Westwood did well to push aside. Borough then missed the target by inches as another corner brought continued mayhem inside the Cumbrians' penalty area. Bulman's corner found a head and Livesey cleared off the line. A Billy clearance found only Elding who fired in low and hard, but just wide. Boyd couldn't be contained as he put in another cross and Brady was on hand to fire into the roof of the net. Al's verdict: Total disaster. Having been the better side for most of the first half and grabbed a lead with a bit of a freak goal, we just seemed to retreat and retreat as the second half wore on. We were strong defensively until the last six minutes when it all came crashing down around us. Gray's return clearly helped but Westwood seems to have a weakness on crosses and maybe Glennon has to be restored. There was much to be positive about in this display but to lose it is a crushing blow and Tuesday night now has an air of make or break about it for Simmo and the lads. |
