Carlisle 1 Lincoln City 4

Last updated : 08 February 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Angry Carlisle manager Roddy Collins sent his side straight back on to the pitch at the interval after they headed down the players tunnel trailing 2-0.

But their mid-match warm-up on a pitch surrounded by piles of snow failed to ignite them and they slumped to their worst defeat of the season.

The Cumbrians were always second best to a side they've beaten twice this season.

In the second minute Paul Smith glanced a six-yard header across the face of Carlisle's goal and just four minutes later he provided a pinpoint cross for Chris Ward to nod in a far-post header.

Quicker to the ball and on the break, it was no surprise when Lincoln grabbed another, Scott Willis bending an angled 25-yarder over and around keeper Matt Glennon, after 33 minutes.

Denied the half-time refuge of their dressing room, Carlisle's evening got worse.

After 67 minutes, Peter Gain cleverly eluded a handful of challenges on the edge of Carlisle's area, creating space for a scorching drive that crashed in on the underside of the bar and a blunder by keeper Glennon gifted the Imps their fourth, four minutes later.

He lost his footing attempting to clear a harmless looking backpass and Smith nipped in to sidefoot the ball into the open goal.

Craig Farrell's goal for Carlisle in time added on wasn't much consolation for the home side and couldn't take the shine off a splendid Lincoln performance for manager Keith Alexander, who said afterwards: "This is the first time this season we've got the goals we deserved.

"Apart from the error by their keeper, we were superb.

"We need to get some points on board to keep in touch with the play-off chasing pack, but I don't think many teams want to play us, the form we are in." Carlisle boss Roddy Collins said: "It was awful. I did not think that sitting cosily with a cup of tea at half time was the right thing for the players to do.

"So I told them to get out in the freezing cold with the people who had paid their money to watch the game."