United Nail Cobblers In Superb Away Victory

It's that man again

The home side welcomed veteran striker Jason Lee and ex-Sunderland frontman Martin Smith back onto the bench after the pair had been missing through injury recently. Without a league game since Saturday the 25^th of February Town were certainly well rested for the game and went into it on the back of a fantastic run of only two defeats in their last twenty league matches.

The Blues were facing their second game in three days after their energy-sapping LDV Vans Trophy Northern Area final extra-time away goals victory at Macclesfield Town on Tuesday night. Skipper from that game, Peter Murphy, would be missing for Carlisle after picking up a back strain in the match, the Dubliner though was the only man absent for United as Cumbrians boss Paul Simpson had a full squad, minus Murphy, to choose from.

Simmo decided to bring regular team captain, Kevin Gray, back into the fold for the Blues and the LDV cup-tied Michael Bridges also came into the side for Simon Hackney, who was unlucky to miss out after an excellent performance on Tuesday night. So, taking to the field in a, now typical 4-3-1-2 formation, for Carlisle were a back five of Keiren Westwood, Paul Arnison, Zigor Aranalde, Danny Livesey and Gray. Strung across the midfield were Chris Lumsdon, Chris Billy and Adam Murray, with Bridges setting up the play in behind a front two of Karl Hawley and Derek Holmes.

With a strong, swirling and gusty wind at their backs throughout the first-half it was always likely to be the home side who would have the most of the early pressure and so it proved as United spent most of the opening 45 minutes firmly on the back-foot. As early as the fourth minute the Cobblers were making chances, left-back Gavin Johnson releasing striker Scott McGleish down the left. Town top scorer McGleish crossed a good ball in but one-time Hearts man Andy Kirk could only glance his header, with the aid of a deflection off Livesey, narrowly wide.

The Blues did have a few opportunities of their own though and in the eighth minute the unlikely figure of Billy was the Carlisle player who went close. Gray hit a long ball over the top which Bridges ran onto and in-turn laid off to Hawley on the left. Seeing Billy storming forward Hawley knocked the ball into the run of the United enforcer but his powerful drive from 25 yards out was always going well wide of Town keeper Lee Harper’s far-post.

It was pretty much all Northampton though and three minutes later Westwood made the first, of many, excellent saves in the Cumbrians goal. Right-sided midfielder David Hunt launched one of his trademark long throws into the Carlisle box which ex-Aston Villa man Ian Taylor got to first. Planting a firm header goalwards from eight yards out Taylor must have thought he had scored only to see Westwood expertly get both hands to the ball and push it round the post for a Town corner.

In the 14^th minute The Blues were pushing forward again and a nice passing move saw them earn their first flag-kick. Billy, Holmes, Hawley and Lumsdon were all involved in the crisp counter-attack before the ball was finally played across to the marauding Arnison 15 yards out in the right-hand channel. Carlisle’s right-back hit a rasper of a drive but experienced Town centre-half Sean Dyche was on-hand to get a brave block in and send the ball spinning away behind Harper’s goal.

Five minutes later though and it looked all-on as though the home side had taken the lead as they had a sustained period of heavy pressure. With little on, Johnson decided have a crack on goal with the strong wind behind him and his smashed right-footed effort from 25 yards out looked to be heading into the top corner of the Carlisle goal, only for it to bounce down off the underside of the bar and land a foot or so out from the goal-line. More fortunately for the Blues it was a United player that was on hand to get the rebound away, Aranalde heading the ball behind for yet another Town corner much to the relief of the 796 travelling Blues fans.

Sixty seconds later Hunt sent a powerful shot in from the United ‘D’ which Westwood seemed to do well to reach and tip over his own crossbar. Referee Martin Atkinson from Leeds saw things differently though and awarded Carlisle a goal-kick much to the chagrin of the 6249 home fans packed into Sixfields, and what a costly decision that would prove to be for Town as the Blues took the lead against the run of the play moments later.

Adam Murray put some good pressure on in the midfield engine room and forced the play back to Jason Crowe in Town’s right-back spot. From there Crowe can’t even have looked as he tried to reach his own centre-half Chris Doig with a suicidal pass across the front of the Cobblers line. Hawley was soon onto the bad ball, and as Harper raced from his line United’s top scorer was able to skilfully round the Northampton keeper on the edge of the box and gleefully slot home with his right foot into an empty net to notch his 24^th goal of a remarkable season. After being on the receiving end of for most of the opening stages it was a real fillip for the Cumbrians to be given a goal for nothing through some awful defending by Crowe.

The home side weren’t to be put off by that goal though and they continued to bombard the Carlisle goal right up until half-time. McGleish should really have done better on the half-hour mark when he headed wide from just ten yards out after ex-Aberdeen winger Eoin Jess sent an excellent cross in. McGleish was again in the thick of the action shortly afterwards when he nicked the ball off the feet of Aranalde 35 yards from goal, taking the ball on he tried a quick snapshot but he could only send it well wide of Westwood’s goal as Town poured forward in the search for an equaliser.

After 34 minutes Lumsdon hit a deep ball up to Bridges but the Town defence had sniffed out the danger and crowded the ex-Leeds man out. Bridges still managed to get a shot away though against three covering defenders but his left-footed effort was weak and straight at Harper. It was the home side who were having nearly all the play though as the Blues hoped to protect their lead until half-time and make the most of having the conditions in their favour after the break.

Johnson and McGleish worked well together all evening and two minutes later some good play between the two sent Hunt scampering away down the Cobblers right. Hunt sent the ball in low but McGleish, who had run on into the Cumbrians box, was disappointed to find Gray on-hand to nick the ball off his toes. It was all Town now and the next move was like a shooting gallery just inside the Carlisle box as McGleish, Taylor, Johnson and Hunt all had shots blocked by an extremely hard-pressed Blues defence.

In the 39^th minute Kirk really should have done better for Northampton when Crowe sent a lovely cross into the United box only for the Scot to wastefully head it straight into the arms of a grateful Westwood. Shortly afterwards the Blues actually started to see a little bit of the ball as they battled hard against the extremely strong wind in their faces. Lumsdon crossed a corner in from the right which went just behind Adam Murray as the ex-Derby man charged into the penalty area. After Holmes challenged for possession the ball, fortunately for the Cumbrians, dropped to Murray at the back-post, but it was slightly behind him and he could only send his hooked left-footed effort wide of Harper’s goal.

The home side’s huge spell of pressure and possession seemed to run out of steam a little bit as the half drew to a close and it was Carlisle who had another attack in the closing stages. Lumsdon had a go at the old Teddy Sheringham corner routine in the 44^th minute from an Adam Murray flag-kick on the right but Taylor was quickly out to block Lumsdon’s right-footed volley from the edge of the Town box.

The half-time whistle soon came from referee Atkinson after two minutes of added time and it was the home side who were left ruing their luck as the two sides headed down the tunnel. Town had seen themselves have by far the better of the play but one lapse in defence was all it needed for Hawley to put the Blues into a lead they had needed to work very hard to hold onto.

The home side started off the half in the ascendancy once more and had a couple of early corners which, again, were well defended by the hardworking United back-line. Carlisle came more and more into the game as the period went on though and eventually started to boss the game as Town began to run out of ideas. Six minutes in Hawley won a corner for Carlisle as he hammered in a powerful shot from the left-hand edge of the Cobblers box which flew behind off the legs of Doig. Lumsdon put the flag-kick in and Livesey was the first there to nod goalwards, then, showing the predatory instincts of a goalscorer, Hawley nipped in on the chance but Hunt was well stationed to boot the close-range effort away from the line.

In the 53^rd minute the Cumbrians looked like they had a won clear penalty only for the official to wave away the vehement Carlisle protests. Bridges got into the box on the end of a Lumsdon ball forward and looked to cross back from the by-line before seemingly being brought down by Doig, referee Atkinson thought otherwise though much to the chagrin of the travelling Blue Army. Seconds later, as play swung up to the other end, Town had a smaller appeal for a spot-kick turned down as Johnson seemed to go down all too easy under a challenge from Livesey.

The Blues almost doubled their lead in the 57^th minute only to be denied by an excellent save from Harper. Billy, showing great strength and tenacity, won the ball in midfield and played a clever pass on into the box for Hawley to use his pace and sprint onto. United’s top scorer hit a powerful drive in from 14 yards out with his right-foot but Harper was down quickly to push the ball out, Doig getting back to complete the clearance by humping the ball into the stands.

Six minutes later Town boss Colin Calderwood decided to use the more direct approach in his side’s quest for an equaliser when he brought on Lee for Hunt. It seemed obvious now that the home team were looking to get the ball forward much quicker and the aerial prowess of Lee did cause Carlisle a few problems in the closing stages, although the delivery to the big striker was often poor.

Just before the midway point in the half the Cobblers once more were inches away from finding a leveller. Crowe picked the ball up just outside the Cumbrians box and decided to try his luck from distance on his right foot only to send the effort whistling just over Westwood’s crossbar. United were giving as good as they got though and in the 67^th minute Adam Murray sent the ball into the near-post area from a corner for Holmes, the big Scot connecting too well with his right-footed effort on the volley however as he sent it flying away over the Town bar.

Billy was having one of his most attacking nights in a Carlisle shirt in the second-half and, just sixty seconds after Holmes’ effort, the midfield enforcer sent a fierce shot across goal from 20 yards out flying wide of Harper’s far-post. The game was all action now as it swung from end-to-end and shortly afterwards Lee should really have done better when a good cross came flying into the United box from the right-hand side courtesy of Kirk. The ex-Nottingham Forest man should certainly have got his eight-yard header on target at least but he could only send it powerfully past the Cumbrians far-post under pressure from Gray.

In the 71^st minute the Cobblers were forced to make a change to their ranks in midfield. A couple of minutes earlier Taylor and Billy had both gone to the floor in a heavy aerial challenge with Taylor coming off by far the worse as he received lengthy treatment from Town physiotherapist Stuart Barker. Taylor, obviously in a lot of pain, had to admit defeat after trying to play on and was eventually taken to hospital for x-rays on a suspected broken arm, ex-Watford scholar Ryan Gilligan coming on to take his place.

Three minutes later and the Blues gave themselves some breathing space in the game with a beautifully executed effort from Bridges who notched his tenth goal of the campaign for United. Lumsdon lobbed a hopeful 20-yard ball up for Hawley to challenge for in the air with Doig on the left angle of the box. Unsurprisingly, the Town man won the header, as he went straight through the back of Hawley as well, but he could only send his attempted clearance straight to Bridges almost 30 yards out in a central position. Trapping the ball beautifully on his right knee the ex-Leeds man teed himself up to send a stunning right-foot volley over the head of Harper and into the top right-hand corner of the Cobblers net. The Town keeper managed to get his fingertips to it, but in all honesty had little chance of stopping it going in, it was an outstanding finish that seemed to rip the heart out of the home team.

After 77 minutes, Hawley, clearly feeling the effects of Doig flattening him earlier, was replaced for United by perennial substitute Glenn Murray. Kirk then wasted a great chance for the home side to make the last eleven minutes more than interesting when Johnson floated a inch-perfect cross into the penalty spot area for the former Boston frontman. Getting a firm contact on his header Kirk could only send it flying wide of Westwood’s far-post though with the Carlisle keeper firmly rooted to his line.

Two more substitutions were made in the 79^th and 82^nd minutes for Northampton and the Blues respectively as both sets of coaching staff made changes, albeit it for different reasons. Town brought on Smith for McGleish as they looked to add a bit more pace to their frontline while the Cumbrians brought on the pacey Simon Hackney for the tiring Holmes as United introduced some fresh legs into the fray to keep the pressure up on the home side.

That need to defend the two goal lead from the front only lasted sixty seconds though as Carlisle completely wrapped the game up when they made the score 3-0 on 83 minutes. Adam Murray hit a seemingly innocuous corner from the left into the Town box which seemed to be meat and drink for a goalkeeper only for Harper to inexplicably let it go through hands, under no pressure at all, straight to Livesey five yards out at the back-post. The ex-Bolton centre-half had to lean back a little to get a good connection on the ball with his left-foot but he still managed to trickle his effort over the line through the legs of Kirk, who was supposed to be stationed on the line to cover any such eventuality.

The Blues controlled the pace of the game from that point on as Town seemed to accept their fate and United looked to run the clock down, while some of the 6249 home fans looked to make an early getaway from Sixfields. The pace of a fresh Hackney was causing Northampton problems though and the one-time Woodley Sports winger almost made the score a rather flattering 4-0 in the 86^th minute. Lumsdon hit a great cross over the right which fell bang on to the left-foot of Hackney on the left-hand edge of the Cobblers box, the youngster cracked the ball first time on the volley but Harper was equal to it as he made a good sprawling save, diving low away to his left.

With a minute left to go in a pulsating game came the only yellow card to be brandished by the official on the night when a frustrated Kirk came through late on Gray as United’s skipper looked to clear the ball upfield. That was the end of the action really and after three minutes of time added on the final whistle was blown on a quite superb away win for Carlisle that really puts the stamp on their own automatic promotion credentials, while putting a dent in those of Northampton.