Driving up to Creighton this morning hopes weren't high of having a match to watch as the rain lashed against the windscreen but fortunately from a viewing perspective local young referee John Mulligan gave the game the go ahead. That despite the usual puddle on the spectator side now encroaching a couple of yards onto the pitch, with other small areas of standing water as the rain continued to hammer down also adding concern.
It was United who adapted better to things early on though and in the first minute Alex Salmon had a left-footed shot from the edge of the box blocked away from danger by visiting skipper Curtis Thompson. Blackpool were soon into the game however and two minutes later left-winger Ryan Gratton, who was easily their best player, stuck a cross in from the left from which Josh Ling could only send a diving header straight into the arms of Carlisle goalkeeper Jordan Parker from ten yards out.
Sixty seconds later and some sloppy possession play by United allowed Garan Tchobanian to set up Ling for a right-footed shot from just inside the Carlisle box, Ling though dragging his effort poorly wide of Parker's near-post. The Cumbrians then quickly going up the other end with a Symington back-heel allowing raiding left-back Lance McGlen to get away in the penalty area, skipper McGlen however left fuming with himself as he pulled his right-footed shot from ten yards out wide of the Seasiders near-post.
With seven minutes on the clock a United attack saw a goalmouth scramble in the visitors penalty area with Salmon first having a close range shot well saved by Odisseas Gardikiotis before Dave Symington in a ruck of bodies had his effort deflected onto the crossbar, with Blackpool then eventually hacking the ball clear. Carlisle did take what would prove to be the only goal of the game in the 18th minute though when a good low cross in from the right by Salmon saw Beck pretty much aquaplane in to slide home a left-footed finish from six yards out.
United then had a good chance to make it 2-0 after 23 minutes when Symington, on the halfway line and thanks to the biggest and most concerning puddle, nabbed possession of the ball before racing clear and firing in a left-footed 18-yard shot against the legs of a well positioned Gardikiotis. Beck was then on hand to feed the rebound across to Salmon but from 12 yards out in the right-hand channel Salmon's hammered right-footed effort skipped across goal and out wide of the target.
It was United again pressing after 25 minutes when Dan Jones played a pass for McGlen to run in from the left before thumping a right-footed long range drive straight at Gardikiotis. Blackpool then looking to get something going ten minutes later when the pacey Gratton cut in from the left only to find his right-footed shot from the edge of the box being part blocked by Josh Todd for an easy Parker take. Todd (pictured) certainly the Blues man of the match today for his non-stop efforts from central midfield.
With 40 minutes gone McGlen fed Salmon for for a right-footed 18-yard shot across goal but wide of the far-post before Salmon himself turned provider three minutes later when he stuck in a similar cross to the goal, this time though, after Gardikiotis had missed the ball, Beck stretching to the limit at the back-stick half-volleyed wide with his left boot from six yards out. The last chance of the first half coming as we ticked into injury time when Salmon sent Symington away down the left-hand channel, Symington though getting his feet wrong as he toe-poked a shot well wide of the target from the edge of the Blackpool penalty area.
Into the second half and four minutes in Ramone Blackett looked to have a chance for the visitors when he cut in from the right only to produce what was then one of the weakest left-footed shots ever seen as his 18-yarder hardly made it to the by-line never mind it being about eight yards wide. Gratton and Ling then played a nice one-two after 51 minutes but skipping in at pace from the left Gratton pulled his shot from the middle of the box wide of Parker's left-hand post.
Just after the hour-mark and a Thompson corner in was cleared out by Carlisle centre-half Brad Staunch but straight to the right boot of Ade Cole on the edge of the United box, Todd though once more making an excellent block on Cole's shot from there. With 65 minutes on the clock Blackpool boss John Hills made his first substitution of the game when another Greek-Australian, in Alex Gardikiotis, came onto the pitch for the Seasiders in place of Blackett.
Just past the midway point in the half and Todd and Beck linked well together for Carlisle, but Todd's left-footed shot from 12 yards out only brought out a good stop from the legs of Odisseas Gardikiotis. Shortly afterwards and Cole fouled Jones bang on the right edge of the Blackpool penalty area halfway down the line. Todd then playing the free-kick in low for Jack Lynch only for Lynch to miskick his attempted shot as the ball ended up pinging off Mathew Challoner for a corner, the resultant Lynch flag-kick though producing nothing for United.
With 71 minutes on the clock Todd looked to have been fouled by Challoner only for referee Mulligan to award the free-kick the other way. John Frazer then stepping up to curl the set-piece from 22 yards out a good few feet wide of Parker's right-hand post, the shot not troubling Parker but yours truly, on ballboy duty behind the goal, would have only succeeded in palming it into the top corner as it flew towards me. The Seasiders then taking the chance to make a change in personnel, as for some reason the ball was now a good distance away from the goal, with Andreas Pachipis coming on for Cole.
The last 15 minutes of the game really saw Blackpool crank up the pressure as they looked for a late leveller kicking down the slope. Thompson and Ling working a short corner with the ball then breaking to Pachipis at the back-stick for a left-footed shot from 12 yards out that fairly zoomed across goal but wide of the United target. In the 77th minute Carlisle then missed a very good chance to make things more comfortable at 2-0 when Lynch, McGlen and Todd all combined going forward to set up Beck for a left-footed 12-yarder into what looked like an open goal, only for Beck to pull the shot inches wide of the target.
Blackpool then made an enforced change to their eleven two minutes later when Marcus Johnston-Schuster limped off the field to be replaced by Emmanuel N'Daw. The Seasiders then going close again after 81 minutes when Gratton sent another dangerous low ball in from the left which Tchobanian from only about two yards out at the United near-post could only stud inches wide with Parker beaten. Carlisle boss Eric Kinder then making his first substitution as Jamie Clarey came on in place of the hardworking Jones.
With seven minutes to go in the game United's final attack came when Todd and Beck combined to send Clarey away over the top chasing a long ball down the left-hand channel. Odisseas Gardikiotis then came racing off his line and at any other level would have received more than the booking he did get when he flattened Clarey as the Carlisle man got to the ball just before him. The Tangerines stopper though remaining on the pitch and therefore being able to save, at his near-post, Todd's subsequent right-footed free-kick from 22 yards out on the left angle of the Blackpool penalty area.
In the 86th minute Parker was easily able to save a 22-yard left-footed strike in on the United goal from Alex Gardiokitis, then three minutes later Carlisle made their second change of the game in an effort to protect their slender one goal lead as Brandon Gwinnutt replaced Lynch in the Cumbrians engine room. Todd then another player going into the referee's notebook when he was yellow carded for a foul on Challoner as we ticked into injury time.
In all honesty United had been hanging on for a while now and it looked like Blackpool had eventually found their equaliser a minute into injury time when a ball in from Pachipis on the right dropped to an unmarked Gratton at the back-post. Gratton then from 12 yards out fairly smashing a left-footed strike across goal only to see it ping away off the inside of the other post, with Carlisle eventually managing to clear their lines after Ling had had a shot well blocked by Staunch on the rebound.
That being the last real chance for the Seasiders to grab a late leveller in what turned out to be a mammoth five minutes of injury time with Patrick Brough coming on for Symington for United being the only reason for pencil to hit paper. So, three wins in a row now for the young Blues as they will, at least, have consolidated their third place in the league table, their next challenge to improve on that being an away match at Accrington Stanley next Saturday morning.
United line-up :
Jordan Parker, Will James, Lance McGlen (c), Josh Todd, Brad Staunch, Dillon Morse, Dan Jones (Jamie Clarey 82), Jack Lynch (Brandon Gwinnutt 89), Mark Beck, Alex Salmon, Dave Symington (Patrick Brough 90).
Unused substitutes :
Tom Berwick and Dale Minor.
Blackpool line-up :
Odisseas Gardikiotis, John Frazer, Mathew Challoner, Curtis Thompson (c), Marcus Johnson-Schuster (Emmanuel N'Daw 79), Louis Cross, Ramone Blackett (Alex Gardikiotis 65), Josh Ling, Ryan Gratton, Ade Cole (Andreas Pachipis 71), Garan Tchobanian.
Unused substitute :
Elliot Tarney (GK).
Referee - John Mulligan.
Assistants - M Coombe and B Scott.
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