This time last year it was a case of being snowbound, whereas today it was certainly more a case of being very windbound, albeit not personally I hasten to add. What was surely a gale force wind driving from one end of the pitch to the other at Creighton with Stockport having the advantage of it in the first-half against a Carlisle side who were missing three regulars in skipper Lance McGlen (illness), Jack Lynch (groin) and Alex Salmon (ankle).
It was always going to be a case of damage limitation for the Cumbrians really early on but the Hatters sadly took the lead with the first chance of the game in the fifth minute. Brandon Gwinnutt, filling in at right-back for McGlen fouling, according to referee Higgins, Ryan Jennings in the left of the Carlisle 'D'. Paul Sunderland then stepping up to smack the free-kick in right-footed, with his shot on goal taking a slight nick off the wall before disappearing at pace into the bottom left corner of Jordan Parker's net.
With chances at a premium as the wind ruled the run of the game the young Blues, after being under a heavy spell of pressure, did well to grab an equaliser on 15 minutes when a nice move forward involving Mark Beck and captain for the day Brad Potts ended in a fierce right-footed drive from Dave Symington over in the right-hand channel that flew low across goal like an arrow past County stopper Dave Smith and into the far corner of his net.
Two minutes later and Jake Pollard's left-footed 20-yard shot was well held low down by Parker, then as far on as the 33rd minute a Brad Staunch foul on Josh Amis 35 yards out resulted in Sunderland having his right-footed shot from the free-kick deflect away from danger off the Blues wall. With the wind hammering at their backs County were understandably having nearly all the pressure but in quick succession around the 36 minute mark Jennings was only able to fire two efforts wide of Parker's left-hand post from around 22 yards out.
It was then Andy Canon firing in a shot with his left foot from just inside the Carlisle penalty area that went wide of the Blues far-post in the 40th minute, before the last half-chance of the opening period came before we played, considering the amount of time the ball had been out of play due to the wind, a remarkably short five seconds of stoppage time. Canon the man off target again as his right-footed drive from 25 yards flew away into the distance over the top.
Considering the conditions it was good news for Carlisle to end the first-half level but it was the Hatters who had the opening shot of the second period four minutes on, albeit Brandon Windsor on a loose ball hitting a right-footed effort miles high and wide from distance. With 56 minutes on the clock though United made it 2-1 when a lovely Dale Minor pass over the top saw Tom Berwick have his 18-yard shot deflect behind off Kyle Brownhill. Berwick then whipping the resultant corner in left-footed on the wind, and as Smith got himself in a muddle the ball flew straight into the net off Smith's right glove.
The Blues then gave themselves some breathing space in the 66th minute when they made it 3-1. An awful pass out from the back by Smith to Brownhill being intercepted by Patrick Brough, with the young winger then able to play a pass across for Beck to quick a take touch before the United striker shot home confidently with his left boot from 15 yards out. Beck (pictured at top), earning the man of the match award today for some excellent targetman hold-up play in tough conditions.
Sixty seconds later, and with the Cumbrians well on top now, Potts played a nice ball through the middle for Beck to race onto, Beck then cutting inside Jameel Ible before seeing Smith half-save his 15-yard shot with Windsor then able to clear the County lines. Berwick and Symington then working the resultant corner short, with Symington's cross in from the right finding Beck for an eight-yard downhard header which pinged out behind off the base of the back-stick.
With 69 minutes on the clock, and from a Berwick corner in, Staunch at the far-post sent a downhard header on the bounce from six yards out into the hands of Smith, then sixty seconds later Potts had a 20-yard right-footed shot deflect away for a Berwick corner, which produced nothing for United. Hatters boss Stuart Delaney then choosing that break in play to make all his three substitutions in one go as Windsor, Canon and Jennings all came off to be replaced by Dietor Downey, Dylan Rhodes-Murphy and Jake Thompson respectively.
County skipper Andy Graham and Amis then combined in the 73rd minute for a 15-yard right-footed strike from Amis which Parker seemed to touch behind, only for the referee, who didn't have the best of games in all honesty, to award a goal-kick. Blues boss Eric Kinder then bringing on Jamie Clarey for Brough before in the 75th minute Symington's cross in from the left saw Beck's six-yard diving header hit the back of Brownhill before being cleared away by Sunderland.
Shortly afterwards and it was Potts setting up Josh Todd for a right-footed strike over the top from just outside the Stockport penalty area, before in the 78th minute County put a good move forward together, only for Thompson to end up shooting weakly with his left boot straight into the arms of Parker from 18 yards out. The Hatters, in a good little spell of the game for them, then seeing Amis play in Rhodes-Murphy for a powerful right-footed 15-yard strike which Parker did well to parry away from danger.
Parker then making a very good save in the 80th minute when a cross in from the left by Downey was headed, from ten yards out by Graham, high towards the far top corner of the Carlisle goal, only for Parker to make an excellent claw away from the net with his left glove. Parker was then providing an assist for United's fourth goal in the 87th minute when his long goal-kick flew over the top of everyone on the wind, with Beck able to race onto it and lob a neat left-footed finish over the top of the advancing Smith and into the net from 15 yards out.
Before the kick-off the Cumbrians made their second change in personnel as Kyle Dempsey replaced Berwick, with the third and final Blues replacement coming just sixty seconds later as Josh Calvert came on for Dillon Morse. It was from the goal-kick of Parker that United were looking to make it 5-1 in the 89th minute, when Potts flicked it on and Beck, nipping in ahead of Symington as he looked for his hat-trick, hit in a left-footed 18-yard drive that brought a reasonably easy save out of Smith.
The final chance of the game also coming the way of Carlisle just as we ticked into stoppage time when Symington's ball in from the left saw Beck have his close range header at the far-post blocked behind by Smith. Todd's resultant corner in then seeing Staunch firstly head goalwards, with Potts able to flick it even closer to the net only for Brownhill to head off the line at the back-stick. Still, we'll take 4-1 and a eighth win in their last nine league games for the young Blues.
United line-up :
Jordan Parker, Brandon Gwinnutt, Dale Minor, Josh Todd, Brad Staunch, Dillon Morse (Josh Calvert 88), David Symington, Tom Berwick (Kyle Dempsey 87), Mark Beck, Brad Potts (c), Patrick Brough (Jamie Clarey 73).
Unused substitute :
Dan Jones.
Stockport line-up :
Dave Smith, Ben Say, Kyle Brownhill, Paul Sunderland, Brandon Windsor (Dietor Downey 70), Jameel Ible, Jake Pollard, Andy Graham (c), Josh Amis, Andy Canon (Dylan Rhodes-Murphy 70), Ryan Jennings (Jake Thompson 70).
Unused substitutes :
None.
Referee - J Higgins.
Assistants - G Kirkpatrick and M Robson.
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