Gravesend & Northfleet 1 Carlisle United 3

Last updated : 06 November 2004 By Footymad Previewer

A spirited performance by Gravesend & Northfleet was not enough to stop title chasing Carlisle United from plundering three points at Stonebridge Road.

The visitors took the lead after five minutes. A long ball out of defence found Karl Hawley who shrugged off two defenders before picking his spot to roll the ball past keeper Paul Wilkerson.

Andy Drury set up a Fleet chance for James Pinnock on 12 minutes, but Matt Glennon collected comfortably and two minutes later Roy Essandoh swept his shot wide of the goal.

On 34 minutes, Drury forced a corner which led to the Fleet's equaliser. Matt Lovell swung the ball in and, as the United defence failed to clear their lines, Pinnock pounced to rifle the ball home from 12 yards.

Carlisle restored their lead four minutes before the break, when Magno Vieira delivered a superb ball into the box where Peter Murphy thundered a header past Wilkerson.

The Cumbrians' third goal came on 54 minutes when Hawley sprung Fleet's offside trap, bore down on Wilkerson and lobbed the keeper for his second goal of the game.

In the last half hour Essandoh and Pinnock both tried efforts that ended up wide of the mark and a Drury run on 85 minutes resulted in his shot hitting the foot of a post.