The Cumbrians totally dominated this match and were three goals up at the break before strolling through most of the second half. A penalty 20 minutes from the end which was awarded for hand ball against Simon Grand gave the struggling Minstermen a smidgen of hope but Carlisle never looked likely to let them sneak back into it. United, fielding Andy Preece up front for Magno Vieira and with Tom Cowan and Paul Arnison playing full back, took control right from the start. Barely seven minutes in and they were in front. Chris Lumsdon found Preece in space just outside the box. His ball across the penalty area was played into the path of Karl Hawley who was able to brush off a defender and clip the ball home past the onrushing keeper Stockdale. It was the Hitman's first goal in eight games to end his drought. Carlisle were calling the tune with Lumsdon controlling the midfield area and chances came regularly. Hawley saw a shot blocked on the line and from the rebound Lumsdon arrived to drive a left foot shot inches wide after a deflection from a covering defender. The second goal arrived in the 29th minute when Hawley's cross from the left edge of the box was met by Preece in yards of space who headed home emphatically. Just a minute later the lead was extended. Lumsdon swung in a corner kick from the left, and big Kevin Gray rose powerfully at the far post to head across goal and just over the line before a despairing York leg hooked the ball into the back of the net. Hawley had another chance near the interval but his turn and shot from 25 yards saw the ball flying a couple of yards wide. Chris Billy bought a save out of Stockdale with a speculative effort along the ground from distance. United continued to press York back and would have delighted when the whistle blew for half-time and the game virtually in the bag. The second half was somewhat less impressive although United were still mostly in control. They seemed content to pass the ball around and keep the visitors at arm's length. But referee Harwood didn't help things with some controversial decisions as the game moved into its final quarter. Hawley was booked after hooking the ball into the net following an offside decision. City almost put through their own goal when following an effort by Hawley Brass and Groves contrived to mess up a clearance and Stockdale had to back-pedal and turn the ball over his own cross-bar. Then with 20 minutes left on the clock, Grand was very harshly adjudged to have knocked down a ball into the box with his right hand. Darren Dunning stepped up and ignored the jeers of the crowd to drive the ball into the right corner past Matty Glennon who came close to stopping it. York almost pulled another back as sub Levant Yalcin fired inches wide of Glennon's far post. A couple of tugs on subsitute Craig Farrell went unpunished and protests from Brendan McGill saw him going into the ref's notebook. United calmed down and kept possession well in the closing minutes to snuff out York's attempted comeback. Al's verdict: A great result from a convincing performance although the draw could have been kinder with a testing trip to Ian Atkins's Bristol Rovers. This was a poor York side but they were put away with some very good first half finishing and they were a bit flattered with 3-1 to be fair after the referee and linesman intervened to award a highly dubious penalty. We never looked in any great discomfort and totally controlled midfield where Lumsdon and Billy looked dominant. In addition, the return of Preece to the starting line-up gave as a good outlet up front for high balls, a lot of which the big man won. Murphy again had a very good game and despite the obvious need for a new signing or two to increase squad cover, we still look well capable of defeating any Conference side convincingly. The route to the Third Round of the Cup however, looks like being a tough one now. |
