A draw was perhaps the fairest result for both sides in a very open game on a cold and windy morning at Frenchfields, Penrith.
It was a quiet opening ten minutes as both sides stayed on the back foot and took a look at each other but it was the Silkmen who had the best early chances.
On 11 minutes their number seven made a good run down the right-wing and laid the ball back to the number nine who turned well but he could only fire his low shot wide of United keeper Adam Bradley’s near-post.
Two minutes later a Macclesfield free-kick was cleared by Richie Hoban to the edge of the Cumbrians’ box where the away side’s number eleven was waiting but his effort on Bradley’s goal went well over.
After 15 minutes Bradley saved the Blues with an excellent stop. A good ball in from the right by the Silkmen’s number two fell to the number nine six yards out and Bradley did very well to get his legs in the way and put the shot out for a corner.
United had their first real chance in the 17th minute. Central midfielder James Earl was brought down by the Macclesfield number eight at the top of the "D". Giant centre-half Dan Kirkup stepped up to take the free-kick but his blasted drive went uncharacteristically well over the top.
The Blues were beginning to make their mark in the game now and two minutes later Shaun Vipond played a good ball down the left-hand channel for Stephen Hindmarsh to run onto but it was just clipped off his toes by the covering Macclesfield centre-half.
On 23 minutes an Earl corner was cleared out of the box but it only came straight back to the youngster whose resultant cross was headed narrowly over by Kirkup.
Four minutes later Hindmarsh played a good ball in from the left-wing which found it’s way out to Earl but his well-hit shot was too high to trouble the Macclesfield keeper.
The Silkmen wasted a good chance bang on the half-hour mark as their number three made a great run into the box from his left-back position. His ball back came to the number ten who didn’t connect properly from only six yards out and his weak sidefooted effort was smuggled away from goal by United centre-half Matty Bell.
As always seems to happen when you miss a good opportunity though it was the young Blues who made the breakthrough and took the lead only sixty seconds later.
United left-back Matthew Blake hit a long free-kick into the edge of the box where under-16 striker Hindmarsh took the ball down well and laid the ball off to Hoban on the right in one quick movement. Hoban picked his spot and hit a lovely strike right across the Macclesfield keeper and into the far corner from 15 yards out.
On 38 minutes Carlisle midfielder Andy Hardman launched a good ball down the left-channel for Hindmarsh to again run onto but the away keeper saw the danger quickly and raced off his line to clear.
Shortly before half-time Macclesfield had a good spell of pressure and let another good chance go just before the break. Their number eleven made another good run down the left-wing and cut the ball back to the penalty spot but the onrushing number four could only side-foot his effort well over Bradley’s bar to ensure United went in 1-0 ahead at the interval.
The Silkmen came out strongly in the second period and didn’t take long to find the equaliser they were looking for with a hotly-contested goal. United right-back Martin Graham gave a free-kick away 25 yards out on the left as he brought down the pacey number eleven.
The Macclesfield left-winger then dusted himself off to swing a free-kick in which was flicked on to the far-post where the ball was laid back to the number nine who tapped the ball into the net from close range. The goal was heavily disputed by the United youngsters who appealed vehemently in vain for the assistant referee to put his flag up for the ball going out of play over the by-line.
United came right back at Macclesfield though and almost regained the lead three minutes later. Hindmarsh raced through onto the end of a defence splitting pass from Vipond and ran in onto goal. The impressive youngster rounded the keeper and sidefooted the ball into what he thought was an empty net only for the Silkmen’s number six to track back and clear the ball off the line.
On 54 minutes the Blues again couldn’t have gone closer as Kirkup headed against the bar. Hoban was fouled wide out on the right by the Macclesfield left-back and from the resultant free-kick swung in to the far-post by Earl Kirkup rose high but was unlucky to see his header ping back off the crossbar.
Macclesfield took the lead against the run of play on the hour mark from a poor goal defensively for United. Vipond gave away a free-kick for a foul on the number eleven 35 yards out on the left-hand side. The ball was only partly cleared back to the number eleven who cut into the middle well and hit a low right-foot drive on goal which Bradley looked to have covered until it took a slight nick off Bell. Bradley still blocked the shot but it came back off his chest to the Macclesfield number ten who was the first to react as he ran in to slide the ball under the United keeper to put the Silkmen 2-1 ahead.
The young Blues masked their disappointment well though and still kept pushing forward looking for what would now be an equaliser. On 65 minutes Blake hurled a long throw into the box which was flicked on by Kirkup at the near-post to Rob Bainbridge but the young striker mistimed his jump and sent his header wide of goal.
Four minutes later the Cumbrians should have levelled matters from a quickly taken set-piece. Hardman was brought down on the right-wing by the Macclesfield number eight. Blake played the free-kick in quickly to the near-post area where Hardman had run into unmarked after the foul. The young midfielder got a clean side-foot on the ball but it flew inches wide of the near-post when anything on target would surely have flown in the net.
United’s Head of Youth Development, David Wilkes, rang the changes on 74 minutes in an effort to drag the Blues back into the game, Vipond and Blake came off to be replaced by Mike Stewardson and Ashley Combe as Carlisle went to three at the back.
The changes took effect with the Silkmen dropping deeper to try and protect their lead but their efforts to do so were in vain when Carlisle got their equaliser after 78 minutes. Stewardson was felled 40 yards from goal out on the left-wing to give the Cumbrians yet another free-kick. The set-piece was put in by Earl and as Kirkup challenged with the Macclesfield keeper the ball fell to Bainbridge who toe-poked it into the corner to level the scores at 2-2.
With ten minutes left Earl went close to giving the Blues the lead with a cracking right-footed effort which curled over the angle of post and bar. Hindmarsh had earlier done well to get to the by-line and lay the ball back to the young midfielder on the edge of the box.
Just a minute later it was Hindmarsh himself who this time had the chance but he could only head weakly across goal from a good Stewardson cross, the ball was eventually put behind for a corner which came to nothing as United really began to up the pressure.
Macclesfield found their feet again though and produced a strong finish in the last five minutes. The ball was given away by Earl to the opposition number eight who ran down the wing well and then cut inside the box but his left-footed shot flew across the face of Bradley’s goal and out for a goal-kick.
With two minutes left the number twelve for the Cheshire outfit was sent away by their number eight down the left-channel but Bradley spotted the danger and came out quickly to block well at his feet.
It was the Silkmen again who had the last chance of the game in the closing seconds. A cross by the ever-dangerous number eleven came flying into the United box but the header from the number ten was well saved low down at his near-post by Bradley.
So the game ended 2-2 with Carlisle looking dangerous going forward but also looking a bit porous at the back at the times. The younger lads will be looking forward to playing "the Macc Lads" again on Wednesday night though as they take each other on in the FA Youth Cup First Round at Brunton Park.
United line-up :
Adam Bradley, Martin Graham, Matthew Blake (Ashley Combe 74), Matty Bell, Dan Kirkup, James Earl, Shaun Vipond (Mike Stewardson 74), Richie Hoban, Andy Hardman, Rob Bainbridge, Stephen Hindmarsh.
Unused subs :
Paul Gardiner and Martin Stewart.
Other results in the division :
Port Vale 1-0 Wigan
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