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So, that meant a back five of Keiren Westwood, Paul Arnison, Kevin Gray, Peter Murphy and Zigor Aranalde. Adam Murray, Chris Lumsdon and Chris Billy were the three men working hard in midfield with Michael Bridges, Karl Hawley and Derek Holmes together as part of a triple forward line. Youth team keeper Adam Bradley lost his place on the bench after the return from Bury of early season first-team number one Anthony Williams, who is now eligible to play as his official loan period has ended.
United started very brightly in the opening stages and were roared on throughout by a fantastic following of 987 Blues fans out of a total attendance of 5833. As early as the third minute Carlisle had their first opportunity when Lumsdon sent Hawley clear down the Orient left, Hawley made it all the way to the by-line before pulling the ball back for Bridges, unfortunately for United though the pass went inches behind the ex-Leeds striker.
Shortly afterwards Murphy did well to block a shot from Orient’s right-sided midfielder Shane Tudor after Westwood had got little distance on his punch out from a cross in by the O’s impressive left-back Matt Lockwood. Then, straight from that chance, Billy played in Hawley down the right channel, United’s top scorer cut in well and hit a rasping low drive but he could only send it straight at Orient keeper Glyn Garner.
In the sixth minute it was Carlisle again pressing forward when Holmes made the most of a Murphy free-kick in. Taking the set-piece in on his chest the big Scot hit the ball quickly on the turn and Garner did well to push the effort around his post for a corner.
Two minutes later Garner was again performing heroics in the O’s goal. Lumsdon swung a sweet corner in which Bridges met cleverly at the near-post to flick towards goal, Garner made a great point-blank save but had to rely on his defence to scramble the ball away from danger. The clearance only came as far as Murphy though who was stationed on the edge of the Orient box, the Dubliner hitting a cracking half-volley after taking a touch and it again required good work by Garner to parry the ball away for another Blues corner.
Sixty seconds on the Blues had claims for a penalty which were ignored by referee Mick Fletcher of Warley in Worcestershire. Hawley pushed the ball through towards Bridges and as Lockwood and Bridges chased the ball down Lockwood seemed to clip the heels of the one-time Sunderland star. Bridges was furious with the decision not to award a spot-kick and was eventually substituted in the 70th minute with a painful achilles which had stiffened up after the incident.
Orient were by no means toothless in the early stages though and went close twice in quick succession, when firstly Tudor saw his shot deflected away for a corner then, Carlisle’s usual nemesis, Gary Alexander, also watched his effort ping away for a flag-kick. The home side were having a strong spell in the game now and centre-half Justin Miller was the next up to the plate as he hit a long-range drive powerfully wide. Ex-Livingston midfielder Craig Easton was keen to get involved as well and shortly afterwards he tried a speculative volley with his left foot from the edge of the United box which flew just wide.
Another contentious non-penalty decision came in the 18th minute but this time it was the home side who were venting their anger towards Mr Fletcher. Central-midfielder Joe Keith made a good run into the heart of Carlisle territory before laying the ball off to Lockwood who hit a powerful drive which Westwood did well to block out. Easton was following up to try and put the loose ball home from 15 yards out, his effort seeming to clearly come off the raised hands of Gray. It was a lucky break for the Blues but considering some of the penalties we have missed out on at Brunton Park this season it’s about time we had some luck the other way.
Orient were working well now although they were also helping United out defensively, Keith getting a good effort in which flew back out off the body of O's striker Alexander. The first booking of the game went the way of the home side in the 27th minute when central midfielder Michael Simpson brought down Cumbrians right-back Paul Arnison in a hefty challenge.
Bang on the half-hour mark Westwood launched one of his trademark monster goal-kicks deep into the Orient half which Bridges took down beautifully. Bridges intelligently laid the ball off to the marauding Holmes and the Lanark-born striker was unlucky to see his excellent curling effort from 20 yards out expertly tipped over the bar by Garner. Three minutes later Bridges was once more in the thick of the action when he was put clear on goal by a long distance Murphy ball up from the back. Bridges dallied too long though and was left holding his head in his hands as Congolese born centre-half Gaby Zakuani got back quickly to nick the ball off his toes.
From the 37th minute until the half-time whistle the game was all about the official as he seemed to be at the centre of everything after he firstly booked Aranalde for a bad lunge on Tudor which left the Orient winger needing treatment. Seconds later Westwood spread himself well to block a close-range effort from recent Swansea signing Paul Connor, Lockwood once more providing an excellent ball in for the chance.
Four minutes later the Carlisle players and the Blue Army alike thought that United had taken the lead through targetman Holmes. Lumsdon swung a corner into the Orient box which Holmes met sweetly to nod past Garner and into the O’s net. As the Cumbrian fans were celebrating though referee Fletcher was blowing his whistle and ruling the goal out for an innocuous push in the box by either Aranalde or Holmes.
Shortly before half-time Aranalde was extremely lucky to avoid a second yellow card and the inevitable red that would follow. The Spaniard was given offside by the assistant referee and a good few seconds after the official had stopped play for the free-kick Aranalde humped the ball over the Orient bar and into the distance. You got the feeling that if he hadn’t been booked seven minutes earlier then he would have been yellow-carded for the offence of dissent. It was a lucky escape for the United left-back who then had the crowd on his back for the remainder of the half as they tried to wind him up into a bad challenge and a sending-off.
There was only time left though for the man who Aranalde had earlier felled, in Shane Tudor, to limp off the field with damaged ankle ligaments to be replaced by ex-West Ham winger Daryl McMahon. The whistle for the interval came shortly afterwards and as both teams trooped down the tunnel they were left to reflect on a 45 minutes where they had both had good chances to take the lead.
The Blues started as brightly in the second-half as they had in the first and forced the opening opportunity four minutes in when Hawley nicely controlled an Aranalde ball up. United’s top scorer, as he has done a little bit too much recently, got trigger happy and blazed his 20 yard effort over with his left-foot despite there being other Carlisle players up in support.
Orient didn’t take long to get back into it though in a half where the home side had the majority of the play and the better chances. Lockwood again did well down the left to get a pacey low cross in which Murphy did well to hack away from danger under pressure from the O’s players that were looking to get on the end of the loose ball.
In the 59th minute the Blues received their second booking of the match when Bridges brought down McMahon in a classic "forward’s challenge", the United striker being cautioned for dissent after questioning the decision. Easton stepped up to take the set-piece and curled a lovely effort over the wall with his right-foot which Westwood expertly tipped over his own bar just as the home fans were thinking the ball was destined for the top corner.
Shortly afterwards Bridges got himself in a good position from a Holmes pass through but Orient’s physical skipper John Mackie was quickly there to close down and nick the ball off Bridges’ toes. United were starting to find themselves firmly on the back-foot now as the O’s really began to crank up the pressure, Zakuani having a low header from a Lockwood corner easily held by Westwood after 66 minutes.
Sixty seconds later Blues boss Paul Simpson brought on Glenn Murray for the tiring Holmes and O’s manager Martin Ling replaced Connor with dangerman Jabo Ibehre as both sides looked to spice up their attacking options. It was the home side who were having the better of the exchanges though and they again should have done better in the 70th minute when Alexander could only head an excellent McMahon cross over the United woodwork from just ten yards out.
That missed opportunity for the O’s was the signal for the second Carlisle substitution as Bridges limped off the pitch with ex-Crewe man Mark Rivers taking his place. Bridges headed off straight down the tunnel followed by Cumbrians kit-man Andy Horn carrying a bag of ice for Bridges' injured achilles tendon. Hopefully it will only be a slight bruising and Bridges will be available for the visit of Shrewsbury Town to Brunton Park on Tuesday night.
After 73 minutes, McMahon, who had been causing problems down the United left as he faced a nervous Aranalde, the Spaniard knowing that one poor tackle would see him heading off for an early shower following his first-half traumas, went close from a part-cleared corner. Lockwood’s flag-kick in was headed away to the edge of box by Gray but the ball only went straight to McMahon who drove a first-time shot back in on goal. His effort was blocked by Billy though with McMahon adamant that the ball had come off the hand of the United central midfielder, although there were few appeals for a penalty from the rest of the Orient players.
Two minutes later the Blue Army breathed a huge sigh of relief as Alexander, who always seems to make a habit of scoring against Carlisle, left the field to be replaced by one-time Oxford United man Lee Steele. It was still nervous times for the massed ranks of Blues fans though as the United players were forced to make more and more last ditch tackles and blocks in their efforts to hang on for what would hopefully prove to be a vital away point at a promotion rival.
With ten minutes left on the clock Orient were really pushing forward in numbers and Simpson was the latest O’s player to try his luck from the edge of the Carlisle area. Murphy did well to get in the way of the rasping effort though, the ball flying away off his leg for an Orient corner. Next up to block an Orient piledriver was Arnison in the 82nd minute as put his body on the line to stop McMahon’s goalbound drive finding it’s way into the United net.
It was all hands to the pumps for the Blues now in the closing stages as their hard-worked defence stood firm against some severe pressure from the home side. Carlisle were holding out well though, mainly thanks to outstanding performances at the back from club captain Murphy and right-back Arnison. United centre-half Danny Livesey is destined for a long spell as a bench-warmer if Murphy keeps up this form now he has switched from left-back to his preferred position of centre-back. Livesey though will have a chance to stake his claim back in the first-team next Saturday at home to Rushden as Aranalde’s first-half booking takes him to five yellow cards and a one game suspension, meaning that once more Murphy will have to revert to his left-back role.
Two minutes from the end and the Cumbrians almost stole all three points through Hawley although United’s hitman should really have done better after Arnison launched a long ball up to him which he took down neatly 20 yards out from the Orient goal. With Glenn Murray, and Rivers in particular, well positioned to either side of him Hawley decided to shoot early though, only to send his effort flying over the angle of Garner’s post and bar.
That was the last real chance for either side although a succession of Orient corners in injury time did keep the Carlisle defence on their toes as they endeavoured to keep the home side out. Shortly before that spate of flag-kicks substitute Glenn Murray was replaced himself by the pacey Simon Hackney after the Maryport-born striker had gone over on his ankle. Westwood had also seen yellow for a United side who were looking to run down the clock when referee Fletcher booked the young keeper for timewasting on a goal-kick as the 90th minute ticked down.
After a sharp two minutes of injury time the official flew blew on his whistle on an excellent defensive performance away from home by the Blues. A game like this is one we really couldn’t afford to lose in the run-in against another club hunting for a top three spot and some hard work by the players ensured that didn’t happen. Results elsewhere were quite favourable and with home games to come against Shrewsbury and Rushden in the next seven days United boss Paul Simpson will be hopeful that his side can consolidate their automatic promotion spot this coming week.
Post-match quotes :
Leyton Orient manager Martin Ling said :
"People will see the score and think it was a boring game - but that was never the case. Carlisle were always a threat on the counter but their reaction at the final whistle said it all. They were happy with a point and knew we were the better side.