Wetheriggs United 2-1 United Reserves

Last updated : 05 December 2009 By Thetashkentterror
Manny Richardson
With the FA Youth Cup third round tie against Stoke City on Tuesday night it was a mix and match of a Blues side that took to the field at Wetheriggs, the pitch itself being drier than expected although the grass was rather long in places. The main changes in the team being Phil Towler featuring at centre-half, Simon Lakeland playing in the middle of the park and under-16s striker Dan Jones being in the starting eleven.

Early in the game saw little action in either goalmouth, although United did have the slight upper hand in possession. Carlisle did create a good chance in the 13rd minute though when Lakeland's pass was touched off with a tremendous back-heel by Manny Richardson into the path of James Reid 18 yards out. Reid's first touch was heavy though and the ball was smuggled out for a corner, from which Richardson looped a half-volley over from Jonny Blake's delivery.

Two minutes later and Wetheriggs took the lead when a cross in from the right by Lee Thoele deflected off Philip Askins straight to namesake Pete in the middle of the box. The Pete of the Askins then side-footing home into the corner off the body of Blues goalkeeper Jon Ball. With 17 minutes gone Steven Hall laid on a chance for Pete Askins again, but this time Towler made a good blocking tackle.



In a busier spell in the game James Grinbergs sent a right-footed half-volley over the top from distance for the home side, then for Carlisle Mark Sloan, away down the right-hand channel, saw his 15-yard drive easily saved by the impressive Chris Walker at his near-post. Play then breaking up the other end again as Philip Askins had a cross in part-cleared by Towler, the ball going straight to strike-partner Pete but he could only slice an effort well wide from 18 yards out.

With 25 minutes on the clock Blake tried a right-footed shot from distance which disappeared over the top, Blues right-back James Bonner then doing exactly the same thing from his channel sixty seconds later. Bang on the half-hour mark and Martin Strong curled in a free-kick with his left foot for Wetheriggs, the cross missing everybody in the middle only for Sid Emerson to reach it at the far-post, his knock back was too heavy though and the danger disappeared.

Shortly afterwards and Lakeland hit a right-footed 30-yarder straight at Walker, Lakeland then on 34 minutes being the subject of a poor tackle for which Andy Hills was booked. Five minutes later and Richardson's chipped cross in was headed down by Reid into the path of Jones on the edge of the box, the 16-year old though seeing his right-footed effort parried away by Walker.

After 41 minutes Lakeland sent a fantastic left-footed cross in from the right wing but no Blue really gambled on it and the chance was gone. The last chance of any note in the first-half coming just as we ticked into injury time as a clever Richardson ball over the top just evaded the run of Carlisle frontman Mark Sloan.



Blues boss Eric Kinder made his first change of the game during the break as 15-year old Josh Todd came on in midfield for Reid, Carlisle moving from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 with Jones and Sloan upfront. Five minutes into things and Lakeland played a short corner to Blake, the Blues skipper for the day then cutting in from the right before shooting left-footed from the edge of the box straight at Walker.

After 52 minutes and Carlisle found an equaliser from nothing when Richardson pounced on a loose ball on the right-angle of the penalty area. Richardson looking up quickly before chipping an exquisite right-footed finish over the top of Walker and into the far corner of the net. Wetheriggs only responding seven minutes later with a left-footed 25-yard drive from Mills that flew wide of Ball's near-post.

Carlisle were starting to get on top now and in the 62nd minute Blake played in Sloan down the left-hand channel, Sloan though having a left-footed shot from the edge of the box saved by Walker at his near-post. The busy Mills, who had excellent delivery with his left foot, then going straight up the other end and firing an effort straight at Ball from distance.

Against the run of play Wetheriggs took the lead in the 65th minute thanks to some slack Carlisle defending, Hall left unmarked eight yards out in the middle of the box to powerfully head home a Philip Askins corner. The Blues then making their second substitution before the restart when Liam Davison replaced Richardson in midfield.

Two minutes later and a good chance went for the home side to make it 3-1, a tremendous free-kick whipped in from the right by Mills seeing Grinbergs head wide at the back-post from close range. Blake then heading a Lakeland corner over the top from ten yards out in the 68th minute for Carlisle, before the final change was made in the Blues ranks, top scorer Ryan Bowman coming on for Jones after 72 minutes.



Sloan then fed Davison for an 18-yard left-footed shot which was pushed wide by Walker. Blake's flicked header in the middle of the box from the Lakeland corner being picked up on by Todd over on the left, Blake there again in the same place from Todd's cross in but this time his off-balance header flew wide of the far-post. Wetheriggs then making their first change in personnel as Liam Mallinson replaced Emerson.

One of Carlisle's better chances to equalise again came in the 76th minute when Davison put Bowman away down the left, Bowman's low cross in being flicked across goal but narrowly wide by the left boot of Blake ten yards out. Todd then sixty seconds later hitting a side-footer from the middle of the 'D' straight into the arms of a well placed Walker.

After 79 minutes Carlisle were pressing again when Davison took a quick throw down the left for Bowman to race onto, Bowman then cutting in from there only to have his right-footed 20-yard drive easily held by Walker. The game then petered out really from a Blue perspective as Carlisle never really looked finding a late leveller.

The hard-working Pete Askins being replaced by Richard Thorburn in the 84th minute before sixty seconds later Grinbergs slammed a right-footed 25-yarder inches wide of Ball's far-post. Home right-back Thoele then hammering a half-volley from distance over the top on 86 minutes, with their third change of the game coming a minute into injury time when Martyn Currie replaced Mills.

Surprisingly, given there were two goals and five substitutes in the second-half, only two minutes of injury time were played. To be honest though Carlisle didn't really look like finding an equaliser on an afternoon where often the final ball was the problem, particularly the delivery on free-kicks and corners. Some of the lads certainly need to play better when they take on Stoke City at home in the third round of the FA Youth Cup this coming Tuesday night.



Wetheriggs United :

Chris Walker, Lee Thoele, Matty Hutton, Martin Strong, Jamie Howard, Sid Emerson (Liam Mallinson 74), James Grinbergs, Philip Askins, Pete Askins (Richard Thorburn 84), Steven Hall, Andy Mills (Martyn Currie 90).

Unused substitute :

Kevin Walker.


United line-up :

Jon Ball, James Bonner, Kieran Cahill, Simon Lakeland, Ben Richards-Everton, Phil Towler, Mark Sloan, Jonny Blake, James Reid (Josh Todd 46), Manny Richardson (Liam Davison 65), Dan Jones (Ryan Bowman 72).

Unused substitutes :

Mark Gillespie (GK) and Sean Law.



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