The Cumbrians only had themselves to blame after wasting a string of golden chances in the first half and then gifting the Londonders the points following a second half blunder by defender Peter Murphy. Paul Simpson gave a first start down the left side to 16-year-old David Molloy and shifted Murphy into the centre of defence for the crocked skipper Paul Raven. Dessie Byrne came in at left back with Brian Wake chosen to start up front with Richie Foran as Kevin Henderson had failed a fitness test. United went at Orient from the off and it was Foran who had the best chance of the night just four minutes in. He raced clear of a square-looking defence to round keeper Lee Harrison and had the goal at his mercy but covering defender Simon Downer got back to block his shot. On 23 minutes Foran was again through but screwed his shot wide when again he seemed certain to score. Wake then had a shooting chance well inside the box but elected to try and walk the ball into the net and was robbed. The disease was spreading as Chris Billy showed a clean pair of heels to sprint through but Harrison was quickly out to block and when the ball spun free again Foran's attempted chip was inches wide of the far post. It was no exaggeration to suggest the Irishman could and perhaps should have had a hat-trick. Orient suddenly became dangerous themselves, perhaps sensing it would be their night after all. Wayne Purser's cross found Gary Alexander's forehead but he missed the target right when he looked well placed to put the visitors ahead. The Londoners began the second half menacingly as well, Jabo Ibhere bringing a good save out of Glennon down by his near post to concede a corner. Foran's luck was not turning either. He raced on to McGill's cross 9 minutes in but his header was saved at point blank range as the linesman flagged for offside. On the hour he collected McGill's cross and left footed the ball home but was adjudged to have been offside again. Four minutes later Orient punished United for their profligacy. An early curling ball into the box from Tom Newey had Murphy back tracking and Glennon came off his line but the former United skipper slipped and let Ibhere in to poke the ball home into an unguarded net. An uninspired Carlisle were now resorting to long balls as Wake went off and Craig Farrell entered the fray. Orient were looking a lot more comfortable than they had in the early stages of the game and neither Foran or his new strike partner had a real sight of goal again. Farrell got up to meet a McGill centre but his header was so far off target it almost went for a corner. The final chance as the seconds ticked away fell to Billy but he fired despairingly over the bar as more depression settled over Brunton Park. Al's verdict: On Saturday I felt we were very unlucky not to take something off the league leaders. Tonight we blew our chances because we couldn't find the back of the net, simple as that. After all those chances went begging in the first half, I kind of knew it would all go pear-shaped. Sadly our play became disjointed and somewhat predictable during the second half as we ran out of ideas. The first 20 minutes saw us at our best but we seem to have lost confidence in front of goal, the players knowing how important tonight's game was and just bottling it when the openings came. We need someone to pop up and burst the net for us, starting with Kidderminster on Saturday. Otherwise, this is going to be a long and dispiriting campaign. |
