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The young Blues went into the match missing perhaps their two most influential players in skipper Shaun Vipond and striker Stephen Hindmarch, both of whom travelled with the first team squad down to Swindon. Playing against the fierce wind and up the slope in the opening period they did get the first shot in after eight minutes though. Frontman Andy Hardman chasing down a ball forward that held up in the swirling air, the young centre-forward then firing in a 25-yard right-footed half-volley from the right-hand channel which flew across goal and out for a County by-kick.
Stockport came back with the next opportunity in a half devoid of any entertainment when a pass was pushed into the feet of their left-winger, he could only fire his 22-yard right-footed effort wide of Grant Carson's far-post though. Two minutes later County's top scorer Chris Coward was shown the yellow card, presumably for dissent as he protested about a free-kick given against him just outside the United box.
After 24 minutes Mike Stewardson made a good run down the left-wing and played a ball in which the Cumbrians trialist pushed across to Hardman 12 yards out. Hardman was quickly crowded out although he did turn quickly enough to hit in a left-footed shot which the Hatters keeper saved with his legs. Carlisle's trialist today being a tall centre-forward called Gary Madine, the 16-year old is based in Gateshead and plays his football for Penshaw FC in the Russell Foster Tyne and Wear Youth League Premier Division. Madine showed a few good touches on the ball playing against older lads and should be worth another look.
With 28 minutes gone Coward tried his luck with a right-footed half-volley from 22 yards out that was easy for Carson to take in on the bounce at the far-post. The only other thing of note in the first half coming when Carson made a great take on a horrible day for goalkeepers as he plucked a right-wing cross confidently out of the air on 36 minutes. Half-time soon came with spectators and players alike hoping that the interval would be as short as possible.
Both teams upped the tempo a bit after the break, presumably in a desperate attempt not to have face extra-time and another 30 minutes of play in this Youth Alliance League Cup Round Two tie. A pacey right-wing cross came in from the Hatters on 50 minutes which Blues captain for the day Terry Stewart sliced at about 100mph over his own crossbar on the wind, County then conceding possession from a poorly worked short corner routine.
Five minutes later and Stewardson and Madine linked up well for Carlisle, the two combining to feed the ball into the path of Matthew Brown who fired a 20-yard left-footed effort straight at the Stockport glovesman. Sixty seconds later, with the game starting to find some pace to it, a dangerous low ball in from the County right-winger somehow flew untouched across the United six-yard line as defenders and attackers alike tried to get a touch on the cross, albeit for different reasons.
Just after the hour-mark Ashley Combe and Richie Hoban worked a crossing opportunity for the Blues on the right, Hoban's ball in seeing Madine sadly send an eight-yard header straight into the arms of the County keeper. In the 63rd minute some great anticipation by Carlisle man-of-the-match Dan Wordsworth saw him intercept the ball and confidently stride out of his centre-half spot with it at his feet, run on and eventually fire a 25-yard left-footed drive inches wide of the Stockport far-post.
Two minutes later the County right-winger ran in from his flank and tried a quick shot from the edge of the Carlisle box, his left-footed effort was weak though and it was easy for Carson to collect at his near-post. Just sixty seconds later, in a busy spell in the game, Hardman did well on the right to make some room himself and cross the ball into the centre of the County penalty area, Madine was just unable to get on the end of it though and the ball was plucked out of the air by the Hatters glovesman.
New Blues Head of Youth Eric Kinder made his first change of the game midway through the half when he brought on Dan Rayson for Hoban in midfield. With 20 minutes to go Brown hammered in a right-footed shot from distance but the wind soon got hold of it and it flew well over the bar and into the field 20 yards behind the County goal. Fellow United midfielder Matthew Wood tried the same idea, this time with a half-volley, two minutes later only to achieve almost exactly the same result on a hectic day for the substitutes who spent nearly all their time chasing after flying footballs.
After 75 minutes Stewardson made a good tackle on the left flank which set the Cumbrians up for a quick break forward, Madine holding the ball into him up well and playing in Stewardson who had continued his run on into the left-hand channel of the Stockport box. It was United's best chance of the day really but the young winger was just unable to take it as his side-footed effort across goal from 12 yards out was expertly blocked by the body of the County keeper, the ball then pinging inches past the Hatters near-post off the legs of a defender.
Three minutes later Wood's low 20-yard left-footed shot was fumbled out to the left-wing by the visitors glovesman, Stewardson sticking a sharp cross back in which was well headed away by a County defender. Sixty seconds later Hardman connected with a half-volley from distance in the right-hand channel, fortunately for Stockport though the powerful effort was straight at the keeper. Ten minutes to go and the Blues had a very good shout for a penalty turned down when Wood seemed to be upended in the Hatters box, the referee quickly waving away the Carlisle protests.
In the 81st minute one of the County midfielders fired in a right-footed shot from 20 yards out which Carson clung on to well. Then sixty seconds later, with the wind behind him, Blues left-back Matthew Blake hurled a long throw deep into the Stockport penalty area, the ball almost being fumbled into his own net by the Hatters keeper as it reared up at him on the bounce. You got the feeling that a goal wasn't going to come from open play if the game had gone on all day and when one finally did come in the 84th minute that was exactly the case.
Stockport earning themselves a penalty when Coward seemed to have his heels clipped by Combe as he tried to make his way down to the United left-hand by-line, Wordsworth being yellow carded by the official for his protests about the spot-kick award. Coward got up to take the penalty but he was a bit lucky to see it creep into the Cumbrians net as Carson dived correctly to his right and got a good hand to the ball, only to see it sneak over the line and across into the other corner off the inside of his post.
Carlisle made their second change of the match with three minutes to go when Connor Tinnion came on for Stewardson, the Blues then being forced into making their third and final substitution a minute into injury time when Brown went off with a nasty looking ankle injury, Dale Wilson hastily coming on to replace the stricken United midfielder. Then came the torrential hailstorm, things getting even worse for the Cumbrians when Wordsworth was sent off for a harsh looking second bookable offence when he brought down Coward out on the right-wing. The final whistle should really have come when the hail started and that would have saved the Blues centre-half, when it did come though everyone was soon away on their toes to seek sanctuary from what had been a horrendous morning of weather that had turned the match into a mockery.
United line-up :
Grant Carson, Ashley Combe, Matthew Blake, Terry Stewart (c), Dan Wordsworth, Matthew Brown (Dale Wilson 90), Matthew Wood, Richie Hoban (Dan Rayson 68), Mike Stewardson (Connor Tinnion 87), Andy Hardman, A Trialist (Gary Madine).
Unused substitute :
Jonny Blake.
Results in the division this morning :
Burnley 4-0 Accrington Stanley
Results in the Youth Alliance League Cup (North) this morning :
Carlisle 0-1 Stockport
Chester 3-2 Rochdale
Grimsby 2-1 Oldham
Preston 3-3 Bury (AET, Preston win 5-4 on penalties)
Tranmere 3-1 Wigan
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