United Reserves 2-0 Huddersfield Reserves

Brendan McGill

Reserve team coach Billy Barr picked a much more experienced line-up for the game than he had done for the 1-0 win over Burnley in their final league match of the campaign. Only Ashley Combe, Luke Joyce and trialist Adam Clough not having been involved in the first-team at some stage. Clough making his second start in two days as he looks to earn a contract with the Blues from his current club Middlesbrough, for whom he has made numerous Academy appearances this season.

The game couldn't have started off in quieter fashion as nothing of note happened for the opening 15 minutes with both sides struggling to break through well drilled defences. It was the Cumbrians who made the first chance though when a long Combe throw-in from the right was flicked on by Mark Rivers to Glenn Murray. The Maryport-born striker trying to wrap his right foot around a half-volley from a tight angle, only to send it over Town keeper Phil Senior's bar.

Two minutes later, with the Terriers seeing the most of the ball but Carlisle creating the opportunities, the Blues went 1-0 up. Simon Hackney robbed midfielder Michael Collins 35 yards from goal and raced down the left-wing before crossing the ball in low for Rivers. The ex-Crewe front-man intelligently dummied the ball for Brendan McGill, who was racing in unmarked at the back-post, the Dubliner then coolly slotting home with a side-footed effort across Senior and into the far bottom corner from 12 yards out.

After 19 minutes a throw-in by United skipper Simon Grand, playing at left-back, saw Rivers and Town centre-half John McCombe competing for the ball. Neither won the header cleanly and the ball came straight back out to Murray who took it down on his chest before firing in a right-footed half-volley from 25 yards out which he pulled wide of the Terriers near-post. Shortly afterwards a Town corner in by Joe Skarz was headed away by Joyce at the far-post, the ball falling to Adnan Ahmed just outside the Blues ‘D'. The Huddersfield midfielder getting in a similar strike to Murray's moments earlier, this time though the effort sliced way wide of Anthony Williams' near-post.

With 24 minutes on the clock Grand sent a long clearance down the left which was well touched on by Rivers into the path of Hackney, who sped away before crossing a lovely ball into the back-post. McGill, instead of going for glory, chose to head the ball back across goal only for Senior to make an easy catch in the Town goalmouth. The visitors couldn't have got closer to finding an equaliser on 31 minutes when they hit the Carlisle woodwork. James Hand broke in well from the left before trying to knock a slide-rule pass through to striker John McAliskey, Blues centre-half Dan Kirkup got a good block in but the ball only went straight across to Ahmed 16 yards from goal in the left-hand channel. Ahmed struck his effort well first-time only for Williams to make an excellent diving save as he tipped the ball onto the base of his post, with Grand hoofing the rebound away for a corner.

Five minutes later the Cumbrians were extremely unlucky not to go two up when, for the first time in months, the Brunton Park pitch showed too much bounce. Rivers sent McGill away down the right, with the diminutive winger sending a lovely cross in to the six-yard box. Murray, under pressure from McCombe, stooped to head the ball down only to watch it bounce up and somehow fly over the top of the Town crossbar with Senior seemingly beaten.

On 39 minutes Terriers midfield man Matthew Young brought down Murray 25 yards out on the right-angle of the Town box. Grand stepped up to take the set-piece left-footed, but, like far too many Carlisle free-kicks on goal this season, he blazed his shot straight into the defending wall. Only three minutes of injury time were added on by referee Michael Oliver when five seemed more likely with three players receiving treatment in the half. In the first of those three minutes McCombe fouled Murray in the air 30 yards out on the left. Hackney sent a wonderful delivery into the middle of the Town box where McAliskey just managed to head away from danger as Kirkup and Grand homed in for the kill.

The first action of the second period saw James Earl brought into the fray for United as McGill came off during the break. After 54 minutes a Skarz ball up was headed away by Danny Livesey, who was making his return from an ankle injury, the ball coming out to Ahmed on the left. The Town midfielder bobbled the ball on fortunately through the challenge of Combe before trying an extremely speculative left-footed effort from fully 25 yards out which was dragged well wide of the Carlisle near-post.

Three minutes later Joyce brought down Hand in a heavy challenge down in the Blues right-hand corner. Ahmed swung the ball in with his right-foot to the far-post, and with Williams flapping at the ball, the Cumbrians were relieved to see it fly over the top of everyone and out for a goal-kick. Bang on the hour mark, with United going through a spell of continually giving the ball away in forward areas as Town spread play around nicely, the visitors created a nice move. Right-midfielder Matthew Young and Ahmed played a nice one-two down the right which sent Young down to the by-line, the youngster crossing in on his right foot only to send the ball straight into the arms of Williams at his near-post.

Sixty seconds later Skarz played in Young in the middle of the pitch. Young tried to curl an effort into the bottom-left corner with his right foot but the shot was weak and only bobbled wide of the United far-post. Moments later a nasty-looking challenge on Clough by midfielder Aaron Hardy saw the Cumbrians win a free-kick 35 yards out on the right. Hackney's left-footed cross in found the head of Kirkup 15 yards out, only for the ball to ping off McCombe and out for a corner.

On 64 minutes the Terriers were again unlucky not to equalise when they hit the Carlisle woodwork for the second time in the match, this one getting even closer to a goal than the first. Ahmed sent a free-kick in from the right, after Grand had fouled Young, which curled away and landed at the feet of McAliskey 12 yards out at the back-post. The 6'4 striker got a quick strike away with his right foot which deflected off the legs of Joyce and hit the inside of the United post. The ball then flew back and hit the legs of Williams, fortunately for the Blues though the Welsh keeper was able to turn round and dive on the ball to prevent it from crossing the line, an extremely close escape for Carlisle.

Midway through the half, with the visitors piling on the pressure, Skarz sent a clever ball over the top of Combe which Young chased on down the left. Young crossing a good-looking ball in only for McAliskey to show a heavy touch as he miscontrolled it out over the Cumbrians by-line. On 74 minutes a long free-kick up by Williams saw McCombe climb all over the back of Rivers 20 yards out from the Town goal, Hackney's left-footed shot going, yes you guessed it, straight into the defensive wall.

After 78 minutes a good cross in by Huddersfield right-back David Walls was headed away by Grand. With Walls having pushed up so far it gave Hackney free rein to pick the ball up halfway in his own territory and race away into the distance. Flying on past the covering McCombe he tried to get a fierce drive in on goal from just inside the left-angle of the Town box only to slice his left-footed effort way over Senior's crossbar. Three minutes later hearts were in the mouths of the 80 or so Blues fans in the main stand, when, a routine cross in by Walls was dropped by Williams in his goalmouth, Grand hacking the ball away to safety.

Sixty seconds later Carlisle physiotherapist Neil Dalton came on for Murray, Dalton going to left-back with Grand moving up. Hopefully Murray will be fit for the potential title-winning game at home to Torquay on Saturday, the ex-Barrow striker having taken plenty of physical punishment in the match. The visitors also took the opportunity to make a change bringing on Matthew Biddle in place of Hand. With five minutes to go, Town kept up their pressure in their quest for the levelling goal that would bring 30 minutes of extra-time. Ahmed played in Skarz, who sent a deep ball in from the left, McAliskey tried to nod the ball into the path of Young inside the left-hand side of the box but the header was too strong and Williams was able to size up a goal-kick seconds later.

United made the game safe when they doubled their lead in the 88^th minute, Hackney using his pace to cause the Terriers defenders all kinds of problems. Dalton smashed a long ball down the left for Hackney to run onto, the ex-Woodley Sports flyer scooting on past Walls before hitting a low centre fully back across goal to the right-edge of the visitors box. The ball looked like it had been played into the wrong area only for Earl to steam in on it and side-foot it goalwards with his right boot. The shot taking a nick off the legs of Skarz to help bemuse Senior on it's way across him and into the back of his net.

In the last minute Hackney went close to grabbing a goal for himself when a Combe throw-in was poorly headed away by Skarz straight to him. Hackney firing in a powerful left-footed half-volley from the right-angle of the Terriers box which fairly flew inches over Senior's crossbar. The final chance of the game came the way of the visitors in the latter stages of added-on time. A deep ball up by Skarz was headed away by Livesey just inside his own box, the clearance falling straight to the feet of McAliskey. The giant Huddersfield front-man got a first-time right-footed half-volley away from 20 yards out, the effort zipping just wide of Williams' near-post.

The final whistle came only seconds later and saw second-string skipper Simon Grand receive the Pontin's Holiday League West Division trophy, with the rest of the players picking up their winners medals. The win tonight over Huddersfield see the Blues now face Doncaster in a one-legged final to be played at Belle Vue next Wednesday night in a 7pm kick-off, Rovers defeating Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 at Hillsborough this afternoon to set up the clash.