The game swung dramatically near half-time when Magno Vieira struck two goals inside a minute. Early in the second half he was involved again as Peter Murphy finished off another move to establish a two-goal lead that the visitors couldn't do anything about. Although both Andy Preece and Brian Shelley were available again, Paul Simpson left them on the bench and stayed loyal to Brendan McGill and Lee Andrews, whose places were most under threat. Instead he had to make an enforced switch at the back after Tom Cowan went down with flu on the morning of the match. Paul Arnison came in to replace him. It was the home team who did the majority of the early pressing, without much in the way of end product. A ball in by Peter Murphy from the left was dummied by McGill and almost brought an opening but the Bulls defence scrambled clear. A long range effort by Arnison never threatened stand-in Hereford keeper Ben Scott and a few moments later an even poorer effort by Karl Hawley trickled wide as the home side lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. Kevin Gray rose at the far post but his header from a Murphy cross lacked power and floated over the top. Hereford had barely threatened Matty Glennon in the home goal but on 20 minutes they struck gold. Arnison made an error from the left-back berth and a shot from David Brown was only parried by Glennon to Adam Stansfield who bagged his eighth goal of the season with a header from eight yards out. It was a wake-up call to the Cumbrians and their play was looking disjointed as the visitors began to get a grip in midfield. Brown fired in a shot from distance on the half-hour which brought a solid save by Glennon. The home crowd of 6,722 needed a lift badly and they got it with five minutes of the half remaining. Murphy put in a fine cross from the left edge of the pitch and Vieira rose at the far post to head home off a defender and level things up. The game had barely re-started when the boy from Brazil was in the thick of the action again. He collected the ball forty yards out and ran at goal before delivering a deflected shot that spun away from the stranded Scott into the far corner and put the home side ahead. The game was turned on its head with Carlisle ahead despite having not played particularly well. It was a much more confident United side who ran in at half-time and the second half began in a similar vein. Within a minute of the re-start they extended their lead. McGill put in a cross that Vieira got a touch on before the ball ran across goal to Murphy who drilled home from close range, notching up his third goal of the season. The game was far from won, but Carlisle now had clear breathing space. Hereford continued to pass it around and give United some problems. Brown shot over the top of the bar on 53 minutes. Defender Tamira Mkandawire headed well wide from the middle of the box as Carlisle played a containing game, looking to break rapidly through McGill and Murphy and utilise the explosive pace of Vieira. Stansfield's low shot brought a parry from Glennon and a corner. From the kick Craig Stanley rose well but headed well wide. Hawley was replaced by Craig Farrell as Paul Simpson sought to cement the victory. Lee Andrews, who came into his own in the second half, made a strong break from the back on 68 minutes and managed a shot that was blocked by Andrew Tretton, the ball spinning away for a corner. The defender managed another good cross, the ball cleared by Mkandawire. Soon after this Preece came on to replace Vieira who received a standing ovation. The popular striker was soon in the action turning sharply and firing a yard wide with his favoured left foot. Skipper Kevin Gray paid the price for some niggling fouls when he was booked on 76 minutes after upending the impressive Stansfield. Farrell put in wicked left foot cross that almost deceived rookie keeper Scott, who had to hook it with his foot as Preece lurked in the box. Simon Grand blocked a Brown effort as the game entered the closing stages but the visitors still played some decent football and refused to lie down. With Shelley on for man of the match Murphy, Carlisle couldn't dominate possession as they would have liked. Preece turned and shot well wide with his less trusty right foot as the game entered stoppage time. Robert Purdie brought the final save of the match out of Glennon with a 25-yard effort. Al's verdict: A valuable three points to get us back on track quickly after the setback of last week. This was in many ways a less impressive display than against Barnet, but this time we took our chances when it mattered. Vieira celebrated his loan extension with two crucial goals, even though there was a hint of luck about the second one. Murphy, getting another important goal to put the game away early in the second half, was a deserved man of the match for his close control and running. For all that Hereford looked a good side, with good appreciation of space and some solid defending on the edge of their box. In the end they couldn't quite contain Magno and with three goals so quickly, they were never likely to pull it back, especially with a series of speculative shots that Glennon coped with well. The FA Cup is next, and hopefully we can keep some of our newest supporters after another good crowd today. |
