United Edge A Point Closer To Promotion

Super-sub Simon Hackney

Glenn Murray was missing from the Blues bench with a virus, and was replaced by Mark Rivers, but in the first eleven Danny Livesey had still failed to recover from an ankle injury sustained after a bad tackle by Grimsby's Michael Reddy seven days earlier. So, for the Cumbrians that meant a starting back five of Keiren Westwood, Paul Arnison, Zigor Aranalde, Peter Murphy and Kevin Gray. Across the centre of the park were Chris Billy, Chris Lumsdon and Adam Murray, with Michael Bridges playing just off a front two of Derek Holmes and Karl Hawley.

Carlisle started the game brightly at the Memorial Stadium and Murphy went close with less than a minute on the clock. Aranalde's long throw in was only cleared back out by Gas centre-half Steve Elliott straight to Murray who lobbed the ball back into the box, only to see Elliott clear it out again. The clearance came to Murphy this time though and his left-footed half-volley dipped inches over the Rovers bar from 20 yards out.

The opening 45 minutes would be pretty much end-to-end fare with both Pirates frontman Richard Walker, and United striker Hawley, looking they like they could have done better when well placed in the next bits of action. Firstly, after some nice approach by the on-loan Sammy Igoe, Walker could only fire a cross straight into the arms of Westwood, then Hawley dragged a shot into the Rovers side-netting when both Holmes and Bridges were looking for a ball into the middle.

After eight minutes the home side were again pushing forward, Junior Agogo crossing in from the left for his strike-partner Walker, Rovers's top scorer got a good connection on his flicked header and it took Westwood two attempts to grab the ball low down at his far-post. It was the Blues who then had the next two chances through Lumsdon and Bridges. In the 11^th minute Lumsdon tried a long-range effort from 25 yards out but the ball was always rising and Gas keeper Scott Shearer was able to easily watch it over his own crossbar. Shortly afterwards the Rovers keeper raced from his line to head away a deep Lumsdon ball forward, but only sent his clearance straight to Bridges on the half-way line. The ex-Leeds man couldn't get enough power on his right-footed volley back towards the Rovers goal though and Shearer was able to chase it down comfortably.

The ever dangerous Igoe, who was playing his last game of a loan spell from Millwall, found the ball at his feet after a cracking run down the right flank from the impressive Lewis Haldane. Igoe tried a quick snapshot on the United goal from the edge of the box and was unlucky to see his curling effort on his right-foot sneak inches wide of the Blues far-post. Igoe and Haldane, marauding down either wing, caused the Cumbrians no end of problems all afternoon, Aranalde in particular, who was struggling with a rib injury late on, having a torrid time against Haldane.

In the 16^th minute Walker found himself on the end of a cross in from Gas left wing-back Chris Carruthers. The Rovers striker could only send his header from the penalty spot area wide of the United goal though as the home side began to crank up the pressure. The Blues were still getting forward themselves though and Hawley did exactly the same with a carbon-copy of the Rovers attack just seconds later, this time Carlisle's 25-goal top scorer heading wide from Aranalde's good ball in.

A typically huge Westwood goal-kick came through to Hawley in the 23^rd minute as he took the ball down well. After doing the hard part though he got a poor connection on his shot from the edge of the Rovers box and he could only scuff it straight into the hands of the grateful Shearer. On a bumpy heavy pitch, where Guinness Premiership side Bristol play Rugby Union, Murray was the next to bobble a weak effort straight at the Rovers keeper, Murray having shot on goal from 20 yards out after making a good run from midfield.

United were having a good spell in the game now but were struggling to turn possession into quality upfront as their front three struggled to get going all day against a well-marshalled Rovers back-line. Lumsdon was next up for the Blues to get a strike in, following a touch on by Murray, but it was a poor effort again and Shearer was able to claim it low down to his left. The home side soon came back into the game though and went at Carlisle strongly for a sustained period with some good attacking play down the flanks.

After 27 minutes Haldane made another good run down the right and crossed the ball in well to the United box. Rovers central midfielder Craig Disley was the first there, only to see his 15 yard-shot blocked by Murphy, the ball came back to Agogo but Gray was the next Blues player to put his body on the line as he did well to get in the way of Agogo's right-footed effort. The Cumbrians did manage to get a good attack in on the break though shortly afterwards and Holmes forced an excellent save out of Shearer from a Hawley lay-off. The big Scot fired in a powerul drive with his left foot from the right-hand channel but the Rovers keeper was equal to it as he made an excellent save low down to his left.

Some fantastic defending by Carlisle right-back Arnison prevented the home side from taking the lead in the 31^st minute. Haldane flew a pacey cross in from the right to the United back-post but Arnison was on hand to make a miraculous clearance from almost under his own crossbar, the Blues defender heading over as Walker and Disley raced in on the chance. It says something about the Cumbrians these days that even under heavy pressure from home sides they don't seem to buckle, whereas, in days gone by, Rovers would probably have found themselves a goal or two to the good by now.

Carlisle were still causing the home side a few problems though and in the 34^th minute some nice link-up play between Bridges and Lumsdon gave Murray an opportunity, the United midfielder finding the gloves of Shearer with his with his right-footed effort from 20 yards out. The Blues really could not have gone closer just sixty seconds later when they hit the framework of the Rovers goal. Bridges pushed a nice ball through for Hawley to run onto, only for the one-time Walsall striker to see his progress crudely halted by Gas right-back Craig Hinton. Referee Ray Olivier from Sutton Coldfield, who, incidentally, is the regional referees manager for the West Midlands, awarded the Cumbrians the free-kick and booked Hinton for the poor tackle. Murphy stepped up to take the set-piece from 20 yards out just to the right of the Rovers ‘D', and was desperately unlucky to see his left-footed curling effort over the Pirates' wall come pinging back out off the bar, Hinton heading the ball out for a corner as it dropped to him.

With 39 minutes gone Murray found himself on the end of a bouncing loose ball in the Rovers area after Murphy had launched a deep cross in. The Pirates defenders seemed to do too much ball-watching as they allowed Murray to get onto the end of it, but the United man could only hit his 15-yard right-footed effort weakly into the arms of Shearer once more. Again the Blues were finding themselves in good positions around the Rovers area but all too often the shot on goal was poor or the final ball in was disappointing.

It was all the Gas as the half drew to a close though as they fired in a few efforts on the Carlisle goal. Haldane was first up with a shot from a narrow angle in the right-hand channel which sliced well wide of Westwood's near-post. Agogo was next, as the home side began to pour forward, but after turning Murphy cleverly, he could only send his left-footed effort from just 14 yards out straight into the Carlisle side-netting when he seemed to have more time. Agogo was then the provider as he sent the ball in from the right to the feet of the onrushing Igoe down the middle 20 yards out from the Blues goal. Igoe, like everyone before him, couldn't provide a good finish either though, as he sent his right-footed effort wide of the United right-hand post.

Arnison was rightly booked in the last minute of the half as he blocked off the run of Carruthers down the Rovers left, Igoe's resultant free-kick in being cleared away from danger by Aranalde. The last chance of the half came the way of Carlisle however just as the two minutes of injury time began. Lumsdon sent a corner in which was partly cleared out by Elliott straight to Murphy, the Dubliner only saw his left-foot volley hit fellow Blue Gray though. The United skipper then skying a shot on the turn from 12 yards out over the Rovers bar as he tried to execute a difficult attempt on the Pirates's goal with his left boot. That was the end of that for the first-half in an opening 45 minutes where both sides could, and should really, have found the net at least once with the amount of half-chances created.

The second period got off to a relatively quiet start and in the end contained less action than the first had, although, perversely, two goals were scored, with United more on the backfoot then they had been in the opening 45 minutes. Rovers were the first side to get forward and have a chance in the 47^th minute when central midfielder James Hunt fired in a shot from fully 25 yards out on his right foot. The effort took a nick off Gray which slowed it down somewhat and Westwood was able to gather it quite comfortably in the end.

In the 49^th minute the action swung quickly from one end to the other after Elliott had brought down Lumsdon 20 yards out from the Rovers goal down the right-hand channel. Aranalde took the set-piece as he shot on goal but the defending wall stood firm and the ball went out for a Blues corner which Murphy swung in to the penalty spot area. That was when the problems started for Carlisle because Elliott was able to head clear and send team-mate Haldane charging away down to the other end of the pitch with the ball at his feet. Haldane coasted past Billy and Arnison, who were back covering, with his sheer pace, and unselfishly laid the ball across to Walker on the edge of the United box. The Rovers striker didn't show the quality of a 19-goal front-man though when he sent right-footed chip over the top of the Cumbrians crossbar.

The home side were dominating most of the play now though, if truth be told, and went close in the 54^th minute when Carruthers broke away well down the left and hit a cross-shot in from 20 yards out which fairly flew past Westwood's far-post. Sixty seconds later though and Rovers did find the back of the Carlisle net with a good strike from Disley. Agogo's header found Igoe breaking well through the centre of the United midfield, the ex-Luton man holding the ball up before trying to push play into the path of the running-on Agogo, only to see his attempted pass spoon up off the left boot of Gray. The ball broke kindly for the Gas as it fell straight at the feet of Disley 20 yards from the Cumbrians goal in the left-hand channel. It was great work from there though by the Pirates midfield man as he cushioned the ball in on his chest on the bounce for a right-footed volley which he hammered in perfectly as it curled away from the gloves of Westwood and settled into the bottom corner of the Carlisle net.

In similar fashion to the 2-1 win at Barnet at the end of February the Blues almost equalised just moments later though. A nice passing move up the pitch by United saw the ball end up at the feet of Bridges just outside the Rovers box. The Carlisle striker cleverly laid the ball back to the onrushing Lumsdon but the ex-Sunderland schemer could only send his 20-yard effort over the top of the Pirates's crossbar. The home side were soon back at the Cumbrians however and only a fantastic save by Westwood denied them a certain second in the 59^th minute. Haldane once more caused the Blues back-line plenty of problems as he cut in from the right at pace and unleashed a goal-bound powerful 20-yard drive with his right foot, which the United keeper did superbly well to tip over the bar as it was arrowing towards the top of his net.

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson opted for fresh legs in the 62^nd minute when he brought on the lively Simon Hackney in place of the tiring Holmes. Rovers kept up the pressure though and two minutes later Disley sent a 25-yard right-footed effort wide from the left of the United box, after some nice approach play by Hunt. The game had really descended into a bit of a battle for possession in midfield now with both sides beginning to feel the pace on a heavy pitch. Walker should really have done better though in the 73rd minute for Rovers when, just 15 yards out from the Cumbrians goal, he could only spoon his effort well over Westwood's bar. That missed opportunity would come back to haunt the Gas as well just two minutes later when super-sub Hackney grabbed a deserved equaliser for the Blues.

Hawley worked hard to get the ball back from the Rovers by-line to Murray 22 yards out on the United right-hand side. Murray then sent in an absolute peach of a ball to the back-post which swerved beautifully over the head of Gas centre-half Aaron Lescott to leave Hackney with the seemingly simple task of nodding the ball home from five yards out at the far-post. It looked an easy finish from the Blues left-winger but you can bet his heart was in his mouth as the ball dropped to him so invitingly with Shearer struggling to make up the yards back across his goal-line to try and make a save.

In the 77th minute Haldane made another incisive run down the right and fired in a fierce drive from the right-angle of the United box with his left foot, Westwood being grateful to see the ball fly straight into his midriff. Four minutes later Elliott was the second Pirates player on the day to find his way into referee Olivier's notebook as he was yellow carded for a poor challenge on Murray. Sixty seconds later, Haldane, who had run hard all day and was now struggling with cramp, limped off the pitch to rapturous applause from the home fans, ex-Leicester City midfielder Stuart Campbell coming on in his place.

United were almost caught out four minutes from the end of a tight game when Arnison gave the ball away poorly in the middle of the pitch. The irrepressible Igoe got onto the loose ball quickly and only a superb last-ditch tackle from Lumsdon denied the Millwall-loanee the opportunity of a one-on-one chance with Westwood. Carlisle made their second substitution of the game in the 90^th minute, as neither side showed any signs of finding a late winner, when Bridges came off, to be replaced upfront by make-shift striker Simon Grand.

The final whistle came soon after, following two and a bit minutes of added time with the Blues now standing one point closer to automatic promotion. Disappointingly both Northampton and Leyton Orient had grabbed 1-0 wins on the road but Grimsby had only drawn which means that a run in the last five matches for Carlisle of win two, draw two and lose one would see the Cumbrians win the League Two title. Heady times indeed and ones where we should hopefully see a crowd of over 11,000 for the visit of Notts County to Brunton Park on Easter Monday.