United Grab Late LDV First-Leg Advantage

Last updated : 22 February 2006 By Thetashkentterror

Murphy
United boss Paul Simpson made one change for this LDV Vans Northern Area final first leg tie against Macclesfield Town tonight, although he was also forced to leave another player out of the clash. With skipper Kevin Gray suffering from an ankle injury sustained in the Rushden massacre, Danny Livesey, who had replaced him in that game, came in to the side to take his place once more. Michael Bridges however was cup-tied following one short substitute appearance for Bristol City against Barnet in the early stages of the competition.

So that meant a back-five of Keiren Westwood, Paul Arnison, Zigor Aranalde, Peter Murphy and Livesey with a middle three of Chris Billy, Chris Lumsdon and Adam Murray. Mark Rivers seemed to be playing in a free role again on the right-wing and in behind a front two of Derek Holmes and Karl Hawley. For Macclesfield, veteran keeper Alan Fettis remained out through injury so that meant a continued starting role for young glovesman Tommy Lee, who is on loan from Manchester United.

To be truly honest the first hour or so was pretty dire fair as the Silkmen put nine men behind the ball, with only Dutchman Clyde Wijnhard upfront, and United pushed into playing a long ball game due to the appalling state of the Brunton Park pitch. The Blues started in a similar vein to Saturday though and had a shot blocked in the first minute through Rivers from the edge of the Macclesfield box after a trademark Aranalde long throw-in.

The visitors looked to have some danger down the flanks, especially down the right-side through the pacey Martin Bullock and a good early run and cross from him led to a corner which was well cleared away by Murphy at the near-post. Like the majority of the game though it was soon United back on the attack as Murphy swung a free-kick into the visitors’ box following a foul on Hawley by one-time Carlisle man Kevin Sandwith. The ball in was cleared back to Murphy by David Morley, another ex-Blue playing for the Silkmen, and Murphy’s next cross in came back to Lumsdon off Aranalde, the ex-Sunderland schemer could only send his 20-yard effort slicing well over the Macclesfield bar though.

In the eighth minute Wijnhard nicely played in the hard-working Danny Whitaker as the Cheshire outfit had a spell of pressure but it was disappointing for the paltry away following of 191 when Whitaker curled his effort well wide of Westwood’s far-post from 20 yards out. The Macc Lads certainly had something to cheer just sixty seconds later however when they took the lead with an excellent individual strike from left-sided midfielder Andy Smart.



After Billy had lost the ball in midfield, Sandwith and ex-Halifax man Paul Harsley played a one-two down the left which resulted in Arnison just clipping the legs of Harsley 22 yards from goal just outside the left angle of the Cumbrians box. As Harsley went down referee Nigel Miller of Durham played the advantage rule with the ball breaking to Smart, the youngster wasting no time whatsoever as he curled a perfect effort over Westwood with his left foot and into the top right corner of the United net.

Carlisle came back into the game though and in the 15th minute, Rivers, who had a quiet game until his substitution in the 55th minute, could have done better when he sent a shot wide of Lee’s far-post from 20 yards out. Three minutes later the Blues went the closest they had done so far in the game when Aranalde’s deep throw was flicked on by Holmes into the feet of Hawley. Holding the ball up well, Hawley then laid it off to Adam Murray whose shot was powerful and on target but Harsley was brave to dive in front of it and block the ball out for a Cumbrians corner.

We wouldn't to have wait long after that chance though for the United equaliser as it came in the 20th minute through that man Hawley, registering his 22nd goal of the season. Westwood hit a long free-kick up from the Carlisle half which was flicked on by Holmes to Rivers who was unable to control the bouncing touch under pressure from Sandwith. The ball broke nicely for the Blues though to Lumsdon who came charging through the middle of the defence and into the visitors’ box. Reaching the penalty spot, Lumsdon laid a nice short pass off to Hawley who, just eight yards out in the right-hand side of the goal, wasted no time in sending a well-placed right foot finish across Lee and into the far corner of the Macclesfield net.

That was about the best of it from then on really football-wise as the pitch started to cut up horrendously making even the very shortest of passes difficult as the players needed to take two or three touches just to control the ball. Only a couple of snapshots from Adam Murray, one sailing well over and into the Waterworks end, and the other being well closed down by Andrew Teague, were the moments of action in a desperate spell of the game with both teams digging trenches in the Somme-like midfield.

In the 40th minute Holmes got himself into a good position but he was another victim of the playing surface when he slipped just as he was about to get some purchase on a header on goal from an Arnison cross in. The big Scot did manage to get something on the ball but his effort was weak and Lee was able to grasp it in a rare moment where he actually caught the ball instead of trying to fist the thing into orbit.

Two minutes from the break Lumsdon got himself on the end of a good move but his finish didn’t match the build-up as he sliced his effort well over Lee’s crossbar. The last chance of the half came to Arnison who, marauding up from his right-back spot, did well to keep a long-range blockbuster down but his efforts to keep it down curtailed it’s power and Lee was able to watch it all the way into his gloves. The half-time whistle came soon after following a quick one minute of added time with all to play for in the next 45 minutes as United looked to find another goal to take a lead to Moss Rose in a fortnight’s time.





The second period opened in quiet fashion with both sides unable to keep hold of the ball in a congested midfield area, United resorting to long balls easily mopped up the tall Macclesfield back-line. While the visitors, with only Wijnhard upfront, unable to keep hold of the ball long enough in forward areas to make any chances, although the pacey Bullock did cause the Blues a couple of problems on the break in the latter stages of the game.

The first moment of any real note as the teams battled it out came in the 53rd minute when Harsley was played in by Whitaker just outside the United box. The Macclesfield man got in a rasping effort with his right foot but Westwood did extremely well to make a full length diving save away to his left as he parried the ball a good distance away from danger. Simon Hackney, fresh from his goal brace against Rushden on Saturday, came on to replace Rivers and it was from that moment on that Carlisle really got some heavy pressure in on the visitors.

After 55 minutes Hawley and Arnison combined well with United’s right-back putting in what would prove to be one of a huge amount of crosses from him on the night. Holmes challenged Lee, who always looked nervous on the high ball, the knock-down, fortunately for the Silkmen dropped in a safe area and Teague was able to boot it clear. Carlisle seem to be having a little run at the moment where the ball continually just drops an inch or two from the right place, hopefully we’ll get the rub of the green back on our side soon.

Eight minutes later Adam Murray played a clever ball into the feet of Hawley around the edge of the Macclesfield box but Morley did well to cover the move and nick the ball off the toes of the United striker. Bullock was once more showing his pace down the right, as the Silkmen made a rare second-half foray into Cumbrian territory, but Whitaker spoiled all his good work as he sent Bullock’s pass to him flying over the heads of his own supporters in the Waterworks End.



In the 68th minute perennial substitute Glenn Murray came on to replace the tiring Holmes, the Maryport-born striker impressing in his short spell in the game although he did fluff one great opportunity just seconds after coming on. Hackney went past his man with ease and clipped a great ball into the penalty spot area where Murray really should have made the keeper work, his header back across Lee going agonisingly wide of the far-post though with the Macclesfield glovesman well beaten.

Billy had a shot from the edge of the visitors’ area deflected wide in the 70th minute from a Hackney cross and then just sixty seconds later the ex-Woodley Sports left-winger was in the thick of the action once more. Beating Teague down the flank, he put a ball in which was inches too high for Hawley to control properly on the volley, his effort with his right foot flying wide of the near-post.

In the 76th minute, Wijnhard, who hadn’t had a bad game considering he was up against four defenders for the majority of the game, sent Bullock racing clear down the right flank with a 40-yard raking cross-field ball. Bullock took it on well into the United box but just when a bit of composure was needed he lashed out at the ball and sent it high, wide and not very handsome beyond Westwood’s far-post.

Two minutes later it was all Carlisle once more when ex-Chester midfielder Kevin McIntyre sent Lumsdon crashing to the ground 25 yards out from the Macclesfield goal in a central area. Murphy smashed the set-piece into the defending wall but was able to cross the ball back into the mix where Livesey could only send a header from eight yards out straight into the arms of a grateful Lee.



Shortly afterwards it seemed like it was going to be another one of those nights when Arnison somehow found himself deep in the opposition box to get on the end of yet another Hackney cross in. The low ball in was clipped by the outside of Arnison’s right boot from close range but sadly for the Blues it sneaked agonisingly just inches wide of Lee’s far-post.

After 83 minutes Glenn Murray and Hackney worked the ball well between each other before Lumsdon put the ball on a plate right in front of the onrushing Adam Murray. The ex-Derby man went for power though and was unable to keep the shot down from just 15 yards out. Hawley was next up to the plate in the Tuesday night shooting gallery but he was another to send his drive over the bar much to the relief of the overworked visitors defence.

It looked a goal all the way in the 87th minute as Livesey looked set to burst the net at the back-post just four yards out. Hackney’s ball into the box was flicked on by Glenn Murray to Livesey who seemed to be stood all alone and ready to volley home, centre-back Danny Swailes seemed to appear from nowhere though to boot the ball behind for a corner. The Macclesfield defence were found wanting in the last minute however as the Blues finally got the lead their second-half play had deserved.

Hackney sent a great delivery in from a flag-kick in the Warwick Road/Paddock corner to just three yards out from the visitors’ goal at the back-post. Both Glenn Murray and Murphy had run in completely unmarked but it was the Dubliner who got there first to head firmly down and into the net despite the best efforts of Lee to block the shot out on his line.

A one goal lead to take down to Cheshire was the least Carlisle’s attacking play had deserved and after three minutes of injury time in which the Blues still pressed for a third goal the final whistle came. Hackney wasting the very last opportunity as he sent a free-kick in, after a McIntyre foul on Lumsdon on the United right, the set-piece sailing over the heads of everybody and out of play at the back-post from his normally trusty left boot.




thetashkenttheory :



Well, a one goal lead to take to Macclesfield in two weeks time could certainly be worse, especially after we had gone 1-0 down after just nine minutes. An away goal from the Silkmen could be vital but then this Carlisle side always looks like scoring and there is every chance we will be able to get that away goal back in Cheshire, although they only count after an extra half hour of play has been completed with the scores in the tie level at 90 minutes.

The pitch really is starting to cause us real problems now, it's not so bad when it just makes the ball bounce like a lead balloon but when it's forcing you to have hump the ball up the field all the time it's a different story. There were numerous occasions, one memorable one from Mark Rivers, when one of the players wanted to shoot or make a short pass only for the ball to bobble up a good foot in the air.

It makes it an ever harder job as well to break down a Macclesfield side who had little interest in trying to win the game, only relying on the break to try and sneak an away goal which they did with a cracking finish from Andrew Smart. It reminded me of the Shrewsbury game in many ways where it was like the Alamo for the majority of the second-half only for a United side which never gives up these days to finally claim a richly deserved goal at the death.

I'd hope that Rivers drops back down to the bench when Michael Bridges is available again for the trip to Barnet on Saturday. His performances, as a winger, certainly aren't helped by the appalling playing surface but just a little bit more graft and effort would be nice to see. It's a shame for Simon Hackney as well that there is no real place for him in the first choice starting eleven but he really is a potent weapon when brought on against tiring defences in the last thirty minutes or so.

When you think back to the Northern Area Final home legs of the mid-90s it's easy to see that there really isn't as much interest about in the competition as there used to be from the people of Carlisle. Having reached the regional final stage five times and the full final three times we've seen it all before and it loses it's excitement. Add to that the fact that a weekend in Cardiff is a lot less attractive than a weekend in London and it does make you wonder if it has all been worthwhile if we get to the final but miss out on promotion, I know which choice 99% of us are keener on that's for sure.