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A few minor injuries had taken their toll on the playing staff, with Connor Tinnion (heel), Chris McDougall (thigh), John Seaton (illness) and James Wood (long-term knee) all sidelined. That meaning that the Blues would end up finishing the game with three under-16s on the field, one of those being a new face in 15-year old Dumfries-born striker Gavin Reilly.
In a match that brought plenty of goals Carlisle almost scored their first in the opening minute, Ryan Bowman, right-footed from the edge of the box forcing a good block save out of the 'Dale keeper. Left-back Matt Duffy, in central midfield today with numbers down, then having the next shot on goal on nine minutes with a left-footed 22-yarder that flew straight at the visitors custodian.
United though did take the lead after 11 minutes with a corker of a goal from Andy Cook. The Blues top scorer racing onto a Simon Lakeland ball down the right-hand channel before skilfully cutting inside a defender and smashing a fierce left-footed drive from 22 yards out bang into the postage stamp top corner at the near-post.
Rochdale getting their first shot in three minutes later, from a Tom Aldred clearance, a 22 yard effort going wide of Alex Mitchell's far-post. Bowman then missing a good chance to make it 2-0 to United after 21 minutes when, eight yards out, he glanced a header past the visitors back-stick from Jonny Blake's corner in.
Moments later 'Dale really should have scored, Jamie Cleary not getting enough on an attempted clearance, that allowing one of their midfielders to run in 15 yards out and miss a great chance as he side-footed wide of the target. Shaun Law punishing that in the 24th minute when, from a pinpoint Lakeland cross in well worked between himself and Liam Davison, Law was able to head down and into the net from just outside the six-yard box to make it 2-0.
Cook two minutes later cutting in from the right before shooting from 22 yards out with the outside of his right boot straight at the 'Dale keeper. Duffy and Cook then combining well to produce a good opportunity for Bowman just inside the penalty area on 27 minutes, Bowman though left frustrated after hitting his right-footed effort straight at the visitors custodian.
A foul on Cook 30 yards out on the half-hour mark seeing Carlisle's next chance be a left-footed Duffy curler easily taken by the busy Rochdale number one. Four minutes later, after Steven Swinglehurst had got a good block in on a 'Dale shot, play went on and from the next cross in Mitchell made a tremendous one-handed save low down at his far-post from a ten-yard shot, Lakeland then clearing the United lines.
Bowman had a shot from just outside the box saved on 36 minutes then two minutes later the young Blues made it 3-0. Some good defensive play by skipper Aldred in the near corner seeing him then hit a ball up which Duffy cushioned with his head beautifully on into the path of Bowman. The United youngster running in clear on goal before shooting right-footed into the net from 15 yards out as the 'Dale goalkeeper raced from his line.
The last action of the half came in the 42nd minute when Carlisle scored their fourth goal of the game. Aldred's ball down the right-hand channel seeing Cook again skin a defender with a lovely touch before knocking a composed 15-yard finish with the outside of his right boot past the shell-shocked wrong-footed visitors number one at his near-post.
Rochdale's half-time team-talk would go down the pan just sixty seconds in as United made it 5-0. A neat one-two between Duffy and Cook, finding Duffy able to toe-poke a shot left-footed low into the far bottom corner past the keeper from 12 yards out. The visitors then making a change at the back with the first substitution of the match on 47 minutes.
After 49 minutes Duffy's cross in from he left saw a ten-yard Cook header deflect over the top of the crossbar, the resultant Blake corner producing nothing. Four minutes later, and from a well-paced Blake pass down the middle, Cook's toe-poked shot from the edge of the penalty area brought a good one-handed save out of the visitors custodian.
Cook then unable to control on the full a difficult high Bowman cross into him on 55 minutes as the ball ran through to the 'Dale keeper. The visitors then sending a 22-yard shot wide of Mitchell's far-post in a rare attack, before Reilly made his Carlisle youth team debut when he came on upfront for Bowman with 57 minutes gone.
Moments later, from a Lakeland pass, Cook, after taking the ball down on his chest, was looking to hammer in a half-volley on the bounce from 22 yards out. Sadly for him though the ball went splat on the rapidly worsening pitch, and having to quickly shuffle his feet meant that his right-footed strike was an easy one for the visitors number one to take.
Bang on the hour-mark though and it was 6-0 to Carlisle, Davison feeding in Blake for a cross from the right which was only parried up in the air by the 'Dale keeper. Cook then claiming his fifth hat-trick of the season as he moved his head six inches to nod the ball home from two yards out. That being the last action for the visitors custodian as he was substituted moments later, 'Dale also using their third and final replacement upfront at the same time.
United also making a change in the nets two minutes later when Mark Gillespie came on for Mitchell. Gillespie doesn't seem to have much look though and after 69 minutes he was chucking the ball out for a kick-off, after a good break forward by a 'Dale player found a team-mate able to shoot under Gillespie and in from 12 yards out to make the scoreline 6-1 to the Cumbrians.
With 73 minutes gone an under-pressure Law, 22 yards away from the Rochdale goal, sliced a right-footed shot out for a throw-in on the far side, the break in play seeing Duffy replaced by Mark Sloan, both sides then having used all three substitutes. One of the 'Dale players might have been wishing he was off the park too as he was yellow carded sixty seconds later for a late tackle on Lakeland.
The score went to 7-1 with 15 minutes to go after Cook and the marauding substitute keeper challenged for a pass through 40 yards out, the ball then falling to Blake who was able to calmly shoot right-footed from there into an empty net. Cook though going into the referee's notebook two minutes later for a foul on the 'Dale right-back.
Thoughts of double figures were on the go after 80 minutes when United made it 8-1. Davison and Blake again combining to put in a cross for Cook, this time however he missed his kick in the middle of the penalty area but fortunately for Carlisle Sloan was well-placed to side-foot the ball back across the 'Dale keeper and into the far corner of the net from 15 yards out.
Rochdale though had their best spell late on as the young Blues began to take their foot off the gas, a cross in from the left on 82 minutes seeing a 10-yard left-footed volley go wide of Gillespie's near-post. Then after 84 minutes the 'Dale right-winger made a good run in from his flank before, 22 yards out, shooting across goal and well wide on his weaker left foot.
The last chance of the match also came the way of the visitors as the rain started to lighten and the clock ticked into injury time. A 'Dale right-footed 12-yard drive looking all the way into the bottom corner beyond Gillespie only to hit his team-mate, still on the floor from the earlier cross, and somehow spoon over the bar from two yards out.
With Burnley frozen out of action again today's victory, their eleventh from fourteen league games, sees United sit proudly on top of the table for the first time this season. The unbeaten Clarets though are only a point behind and they now have two games in hand, still the way the lads are playing at the moment it looks likely that they will be pushing Burnley hard to the end of the season for title honours.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell (Mark Gillespie 63), Simon Lakeland, Steven Swinglehurst, Tom Aldred (c), Jamie Cleary, Matt Duffy (Mark Sloan 73), Jonny Blake, Shaun Law, Liam Davison, Ryan Bowman (Gavin Reilly 57), Andy Cook.
Unused substitutes :
None.
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