On Sunday, Mark Hughes’ Carlisle United travel to Bloomfield Road to take on Ian Evatt’s League One Blackpool in the second round of the FA Cup.
In the previous round, Blackpool beat National League side Scunthorpe United 1-0 and Carlisle came from two goals down to beat League One side Reading 3-2 after extra time.
How Have Both Teams Been Performing?
Blackpool are winless in their last four games. Their last victory in all competitions was a 3-1 win at home against Cardiff City. They have lost to Tranmere in the EFL trophy, lost to Burton Albion Reading and drew with ten man Leyton Orient in League One.
Last time out Blackpool were beaten 4-2 at Harrogate in the EFL Trophy.
Carlisle United are unbeaten in their last eleven games, winning nine and drawing two of those. The Cumbrians’ last defeat came at home to Rochdale at the end of September but since then they have beaten Boston United twice, Reading in the cup, Scunthorpe, Southend, Hartlepool, Forest Green and Halifax, the two draws came against Yeovil and Eastleigh.
Last time out Mark Hughes’ side saw off a spirited Tamworth side at Brunton Park in a hard fought 2-1 victory.
In the last round Blackpool saw of National League side Scunthorpe 1-0 at Bloomfield Road meanwhile Carlisle United beat League One side Reading 3-2 after extra time.
Players To Watch
Ashley Fletcher
The 30-year-old striker is Blackpool’s main goal threat. The former Manchester United, Sunderland and Middlesbrough forward has lots of experience and will run all day for the team. His movement and ability to find space in the box will cause the Carlisle defenders some problems.
Fletcher has seven goals and two assists in all competitions in a struggling side so far this season.
George Honeyman
The 31-year-old attacking midfielder is one of the leaders in this Blackpool side. The former Sunderland, Hull and Millwall player is very experienced and will keep the League One side ticking with the ball. His ability to find the killer pass in the final third will be something the Cumbrians will have to look out for.
Honeyman has one goal and one assist so far this season but has been in and out of the side due to injury.
Tom Bloxham
The 22-year-old striker is another goal threat for Ian Evatt’s side. His link up with Fletcher and ability to hold the ball up and link the the play will be something Carlisle’s defence will have to keep close tabs on to nullify the Blackpool attack.
Bloxham has struggled so far this season but has two goals and one assist so far to his name in a struggling Blackpool side.
Oliver Casey
The 24-year-old defender has been a consistent performer in recent years for Blackpool and despite their poor form this season he’s been one of the better performers. His clearances and defensive blocks are one of the best in League One and he’s a threat from set pieces at the other end as well.
Casey could really be a difference maker in both boxes and potentially a match winner.
I think Mark Hughes will rotate in some areas for this game but he won’t want to rotate too much and change that winning formula. I can see one of Macadam or Gilliead getting a rest and maybe Davies coming in at right back and a rest for one of Williams or Luamba. Harry Lewis will play in goal as he’s started in the previous two cup games.
My Score Prediction
Blackpool 1-2 Carlisle United (AET)
I think this game maybe goes the distance, Blackpool’s poor form matched with Carlisle’s great form could be the recipe for a classic FA Cup upset. Carlisle beat a League One side to get here and there’s no reason it can’t be done again. The gap from the top of the National League to the bottom of League one has probably never been closer than it is right now.
I’m going 2-1 Carlisle United and another cup upset but I think we may need extra time to do it.
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On Tuesday, Adam Lakeland brings his Halifax Town side to Brunton Park to take on Mark Hughes’ Carlisle United in the National League
Both teams have been in good form in the league as of late and both teams can score goals so this promises to be an excellent game of football.
How Have Both Teams Been Performing?
The Cumbrians last five National League games include a defeat to Rochdale, three wins against Hartlepool, Scunthorpe and Forest Green and a draw against Yeovil. Last time out Carlisle beat League One side Reading 3-2 after extra time in an FA Cup classic.
Carlisle United are currently in third place in the National League and are one point behind league leaders Rochdale
The Shaymen have also been in good form and in their last five National League fixtures they have wins of Aldershot, Rochdale and Brackley, they have a draw against York but they did also lose to struggling Truro. Last time out Halifax lost 2-0 at home to League One side Exeter City in the FA Cup
Halifax Town are currently in eighth place and are just two points outside the play off places in the National League.
Players To Watch
Owen Bray
The 22-year-old midfielder has had a great start to the season with Halifax and has shown a real eye for goal and has creativity that helps the attackers as well. He will be a live wire in the midfield and will look to get forward so the Carlisle midfield will have to keep track of his runs from there.
Bray has four goals and three assists so far this season and his goal count is already double of what he achieved last season.
Jamie Cooke
The 23-year-old midfielder has been a constant in recent years for the Shaymen, his creativity, football IQ and ability to thread a pass for the forwards is something that Halifax like to use a lot. He likes to keep the ball ticking over and tries to be the starting point of attacks for Adam Lakeland’s side.
Cooke has three goals and one assist so far this season in all competitions.
Will Harris
The 25-year-old striker is another of the in form Halifax forwards that will cause the Cumbrians problems here. He and David Kawa have linked up well this season and their goals have been integral in Halifax’s turnaround in fortunes since their poor start.
Harris has six goals and two assists in all competitions so far this season and has three goals and an assist in his last six games.
Josh Hmami
The 25-year-old midfielder is arguably Halifax’s most in form player right now, he has four goals in his last six games for the Shaymen. Very much like Bray mentioned earlier his runs from midfield and ability to find space to create and score goals will be something the Carlisle defensive players will have to keep a close eye on in this one.
Hmami has seven goals and one assist so far this season in all competitions.
At this point of the season is become obvious which system and which players work for Mark Hughes so as always the keeper and back four pick themselves, Williams seems to be first choice down the right at the moment, Gilliead is a sure fire starter every week and Conn-Clarke, Linney and Kelly create so many chances and score goals I can’t see them dropping out either.
With the Cumbrians playing 120 minutes at the weekend there may be more rotation that Hughes may have initially planned on.
The only position that seems up for grabs is the defensive midfield place and that’s between Ellis and Grant, both can do a job but I prefer Ellis there personally.
My Score Prediction
Carlisle United 3-1 Halifax Town
Adam Lakeland’s side will be a tough game, they have already won at Rochdale so they aren’t shy of big results away from home this season but that being said I think the fire power Mark Hughes’ side has will be too much for their defence that has leaked goals at times this season.
I think the game will be tight and maybe only settled by the odd goal but maybe a late goal to make the scoreline look more comfortable than game actually was is my prediction.
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Carlisle United staged an incredible comeback against League One strugglers Reading to book their place in the FA Cup Second Round thanks to a hat trick from star man Regan Linney.
Reading were being managed for the first time by new boss Leam Richardson following his appointment in midweek and were looking to kick off some momentum today against their National League opponents and were on top in the early goings, racking up the corners in the opening 10 minutes and testing United keeper Harry Lewis as he pushed away a free kick by Lewis Wing.
The Royals even had the ball in the net moments later as Kamari Doyle beat the ex Bradford man in the sticks, but it was swiftly disallowed as Doyle was adjudged to have controlled the ball with his arm. United were keen to show they weren’t just there to make up the numbers however and Junior Luamba tested Jack Stevens in the Reading goal following a cross from Josh Williams.
The Blues were dogged in their approach to the game and this was exemplified by their captain Morgan Feeney who was immense in dealing with the home side’s set pieces as Carlisle looked to catch Reading on the break.
It was a set piece that would see the deadlock broken in the 34th minute however, as a free kick was only cleared as far as Charlie Savage, whose deflected shot found its way to Reading captain Lewis Wing who curled his effort into the far corner to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
Richardson’s side could well have doubled their lead just moments later but were denied by a phenomenal save from Lewis as Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan’s close range header from Paddy Lane’s cross was instinctively blocked by the United shot stopper.
The visitors were looking to give their manager Mark Hughes a massive birthday present and thought they’d found an equaliser just before half time as Feeney headed a free kick past Stevens but the Carlisle captain’s effort was disallowed for an offside which saw the hosts take a 1-0 lead into the break.
HALF TIME: Reading 1 – 0 Carlisle
Carlisle were the side that came out of the blocks a little quicker in the second half and fired a few warning shots at the hosts as Chris Conn-Clarke, Luke Armstrong and Luamba all came close in the opening 15 minutes or so of the half, but none were able to find the vital finish.
United were regretting those missed opportunities in the 67th minute as a lovely ball in from Doyle found substitute Mark O’Mahony and the Brighton loanee doubled Reading’s advantage after only having been on the field for a minute.
Reading were really turning the screws on United following their second goal and Lewis was called into action again a few minutes later, once again producing a fine stop to deny Ehibhatiomhan.
Mark Hughes’ side were equally pushing hard to find a way back into the game and found a glimmer of hope in stoppage time as a deflected shot found its way to substitute Regan Linney, and the Carlisle hotshot made no mistake and fired under Stevens to give the visitors a lifeline in the game.
This turned out to be more than just a lifeline as in absolutely incredible circumstances, Linney worked his way into another great position and fired another shot which somehow squirmed its way through Stevens in the 8th minute of stoppage time to send the game to extra time and the United fans into raptures.
FULL TIME: Reading 2 – 2 Carlisle
And it would take Carlisle’s talisman just 4 minutes of extra time to find his hat trick, as the National League’s joint top scorer hit a superb strike from the edge of the area to complete an absolutely incredible turnaround and amplify the woes of the Reading faithful.
The hosts knew they had the advantage in quality and fitness though and looked to claw the game back in the remaining minutes as Doyle lashed an effort from distance just over Lewis’ crossbar, before Lewis sprung into action again, producing his third excellent stop of the match, denying a long range effort from Savage.
Reading thought they’d found a last gasp equaliser just before time, but their late corner was headed over the bar, sending the Blues’ travelling support into hysterics as they secured an incredible win and booked their place in to the second round of the FA Cup for the first time in three years.
FULL TIME IN EXTRA TIME: Reading 2 – 3 Carlisle: Wing (32′), O’Mahony (68′) – Linney (90+3, 90+8, 94′ ET)
This can be described as nothing less than a sensational win by United today, as i don’t think even the most optimistic of Carlisle fans would have expected anything after they went 2-0 down deep into the second half, but they showed an incredible character which has been severely lacking in the last couple of seasons.
They never looked totally outclassed throughout the game and kept Reading on their toes even before the late flourish, and what can be said about Regan Linney? The man is exceptional and Carlisle truly are lucky to have him and he was absolutely inspirational today.
Another big plus is that this was a largely rotated Carlisle eleven, with regular starters such as Linney, Kelly and Davies starting the game on the bench, so we can hope that the squad will be relatively fresh for Tuesday’s visit of Halifax Town.
Unfortunately neither Paddock Perception member was present to watch the magic happen today so we’re unable to provide accurate player ratings, however i think we can all agree that Linney is absolutely man of the match with a 10/10 showing from the bench!
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Thank you everyone for reading Paddock Perception, your support means everything! Please don’t forget you can follow Dan and Craig on X for more football content:
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On Saturday, Mark Hughes takes his Carlisle United side to Berkshire to take on League One side Reading in the first round of the FA Cup.
Reading have just parted ways with manager Noel Hunt after a disappointing start to the season and appointed Leam Richardson as his replacement.
Carlisle have enjoyed a very good start to life in the National League. Could there be a classic FA Cup shock on the cards here?
How Have Both Teams Been Playing?
Reading despite sacking their manager this week have two wins, two draws and one defeat in their last five games in all competitions. Reading have beaten MK Dons the EFL trophy and Northampton in the league, they have drawn with Exeter and Reading and they lost to Cardiff also in the league.
The Royals are currently in 19th place in League One and are two points above the relegation places.
The Cumbrian’s recent form has been nearly perfect. Mark Hughes side have won four and drawn one of their last five games in all competitions. Carlisle have beaten Boston in the FA Cup, beaten Hartlepool, Scunthorpe and Forest Green in the league and last time out drew away to Yeovil Town.
Carlisle United are currently in 3rd place in the National League and are one point behind the leaders Rochdale.
Players To Watch
Lewis Wing
The 30-year-old midfielder is the talisman for this Reading side, his quality in midfield, runs from midfield and goal contributions have been a constant in a turbulent time for the club since he joined from Wycombe Wanderers in 2023. If Reading are to win this game I think Wing will have a major part to play in that.
Lewis Wing has three goals and three assists so far this season for Reading despite their poor start to the season.
Jack Marriott
The 31-year-old experience striker has scored goals at every club he’s played for in the EFL. He is a fox in the box and knows how to finish but his movement off the ball could cause the blues’ back line some problems here. Marriott has been injured in recent works but could be back for this game so he may not start but could be a danger off the bench.
Jack Marriott has six goals and one assist to his name so far this season.
Charlie Savage
The 22-year-old has been one of the more consistent performers so far this season in a struggling team. His ability to get on the ball and thread passes in to the attackers and keep attacks flowing is something in particular Carlisle will have to pay attention to.
I’m sure his dad will have had a word with his son to get one over on the Cumbrians here.
Daniel Kyerewaa
The 24-year-old will play out wide and his pace and ability to whip balls in to dangerous areas will cause Carlisle problems. The winger came through the youth system at German side Schalke before his move to Reading and is still finding his feet but he could cause the Carlisle full backs some problems if he’s playing well.
Kyerewaa has one goal and one assist so far this season and will be looking to improve those statistics here.
I think Hughes will rotate in certain areas but will want his side to have the best chance to get a result so will still go relatively strong.
After playing in the previous round, Lewis may start again. The back four picks itself right now due to form and injuries. I think Ellis may come in to the midfield ahead of Grant, Macadam has earned a start after his last two games off the bench. Up front Conn-Clarke and Linney should play and if Luamba is fully fit it’s between him and Williams for the right wing position and Kelly has played a lot in the league so I think Armstrong may get the nod in this one.
My Score Prediction
Reading 2-1 Carlisle United
This game is a bit of a free hit for the blues, it wasn’t so long ago we were playing teams like Reading in League One but I think with the new manager bounce and their superior quality they will just have too much for us.
Reading have lots of players that can hurt us defensively as mentioned above and Carlisle will have to be on top form to get a result here.
All that being said, the FA Cup can spring surprises and if Carlisle get an early goal anything could happen on any given day.
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Thank you everyone for reading Paddock Perception, your support means everything! Please don’t forget you can follow Dan and Craig on X for more football content:
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On Saturday, Mark Hughes takes his in form Carlisle United side to Huish Park to take on Yeovil Town.
Yeovil will be looking to get back to winning ways having won three games in a row in September but followed it up by losing three in a row in October. Carlisle United will be looking for a fifth win in a row in all competitions and to try and overtake Rochdale at the top of the National League.
How Have Both Teams Been Performing?
Yeovil have had a mixed start to the season and have change their manager so their inconsistency is understandable. In their last five games they have beaten Altrincham and Sutton before losing to Boreham Wood, Hemel Hempstead in the FA Cup and last time to our lost comfortably to Rochdale away from home.
Richard Dryden’s side at currently in mid table in 12th place with 19 points from their first 15 games.
The Cumbrians have recovered well from a minor blip and their defeats to York and Rochdale with three straight wins in the league and a cup win as well. In their last five games Mark Hughes’ side has lost to Rochdale but beat Hartlepool, Scunthorpe, Boston in the FA Cup and last time out they beat Forest Green at Brunton Park.
The blues are currently 2nd in the National League with 32 points from their first 15 games.
Players To Watch
Junior Morias
The 30-year-old striker is the Glovers’ top scorer so far this season with four goals and one assist to his name. His eye for goal and movement int he final third will keep the Carlisle United defence guessing. If the home side do get chances they will want them to fall to Morias.
Tahvon Campbell
The 28-year-old forward may not start the game but could make an impact of the bench. Campbell’s pace will cause the blues’ defence some issues and his ability to get by his man will be something the full backs in particular will have to be wary of. Campbell has two goals and one assist to his name so far this season.
Josh Sims
The 28-year-old winger has heaps of experience having playing for Southampton in the Premier League, New York Red Bulls in the MLS and Ross County in the SPFL. Sims’ ability to get up and down the pitch and create chances for the attackers are his biggest attributes but he also has an eye for goal as well. Sims has two goals and one assist to his name so far this season.
Luke McCormick
The 26-year-old midfielder will look to get his foot on the ball and dictate the pace of the game. McCormick came through the well respected Chelsea academy before playing for Bristol Rovers, Shrewsbury and Forest Green. If Carlisle are to win this game they will have to stop this man in the midfield battle. McCormick has three goals and one assist to his name so far this season
I think the keeper and back four pick themselves right now. Grant struggled in midfield against Forest Green so I think Ellis will come back in to that holding midfield role but other than that why would Mark Hughes change a winning side?!
The pace of Williams could be vital on the break in an away game where the home side may have a lot of the ball.
I’m eager to see more of Conn-Clarke and Linney linking up and Kelly leading the line brilliantly like he has in recent weeks as well.
My Score Prediction
Yeovil Town 1-2 Carlisle United
Yeovil are a side that can perform well at times and especially at home so this will not be easy for the Cumbrians but I think with the pace and clinical edge in the final third Carlisle should have too much quality for Yeovil.
Yeovil are in poor form and Carlisle are in great form so on paper it looks a forgone conclusion but as we all know football isn’t played on paper. Yeovil will pose a threat and Carlisle can’t take anything for granted here.
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Thank you everyone for reading Paddock Perception, your support means everything! Please don’t forget you can follow Dan and Craig on X for more football content:
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In any good team that a pushing for promotion you will have the star players who get a lot of the headlines but you also need players that are consistent.
I’m going to be looking three players that have been consistent so far this season and are just as important to Mark Hughes’ side’s great start to the season.
Regan Linney
The 28-year-old forward has been a revelation since joining from Altrincham in the summer. Linney falls in the category of being consistent and a star player and that is a rarity. Linney has scored a variety of goals, lead from the front and his goals have won the blues some huge games so far this season.
Linney has 11 goals and 3 assists in 15 games this season and along with Georgie Kelly and Luke Armstrong is our main goal threat every week.
Archie Davies
The 27-year-old full back is something of an unsung hero in my opinion. Defensively he’s solid and rarely puts a foot wrong but along with that he offers an outlet with his runs forward and creates chances for the attackers as well.
You will always get a solid performance from Davies and rarely makes a defensive mistake but he maybe still needs to work on his final product in the final third.
Alex Gilliead
The 29-year-old midfielder only joined the club in September but his work in midfield hasn’t gone unnoticed. He breaks down attacks from the oppositions, recycles the ball well, he remains calm in the midfield even when under pressure and he makes the other midfielders around him better. Jack Ellis in particular looks a lot more comfortable in midfield alongside Gilliead.
Hopefully Mark Hughes will be able to extend Alex Gilliead’s deal because his consistency in midfield could be key to Carlisle United’s promotion hopes.
Honourable Mentions
I have already written an article praising Morgan Feeney in recent weeks but I wanted to quickly highlight how good he has been since he came in to the side and how he has improved the defenders around him.
Gabe Breeze in goal has been solid all season and has installed faith in to his defence by commanding his area and he’s growing in confidence with every passing week.
A Message From Paddock Perception
Thank you everyone for reading Paddock Perception, your support means everything! Please don’t forget you can follow Dan and Craig on X for more football content:
@dan_batemannn
@CraigWL1997
You can also watch Dan every week hosting on The National League Lowdown podcast on YouTube or you can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Carlisle United bested a resilient Boston United side at Brunton Park this afternoon and booked their place in the first round proper of the FA Cup thanks to goals from David Ajiboye, Josh Grant, Luke Armstrong and a brace from debutant Chris Conn-Clarke.
Mark Hughes’ side had regained their mojo in the league in recent weeks and were coming into this cup tie full of confidence after a hard fought win last week over fellow promotion chasers Scunthorpe. They were almost caught out very early on however as Harry Lewis was forced to deny an effort from distance by Matty Carson within the opening 30 seconds of the game.
It didn’t take long for the hosts to take full control of the match however as Josh Williams chipped the ball down the right flank and found David Ajiboye who cut inside and curled a low left footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net to bag his first goal for the club and give United an early 1-0 lead. Carlisle were looking to keep their momentum going into next week’s clash against 2nd place Forest Green and almost doubled their lead mere moments later after Morgan Feeney met a Chris Conn-Clarke corner but his header was tipped over the bar by Rhys Lovett in the Boston goal.
The pressure on Boston was absolutely relentless and the Blues doubled their lead in the 14th minute after Feeney initially forced Lovett into a good save after flicking on a Conn-Clarke corner with his foot, and the resulting corner was hit low again by Conn-Clarke into Josh Grant, who found the net to also bag his first United goal and give his side a 2-0 lead on his 27th birthday.
The Pilgrims were struggling to find any real kind of form in the league this season and found themselves even further behind just a minute later when Williams nutmegged Carson on the right flank before driving a hard ball into the area which was met by the toe of the onrushing Luke Armstrong, who poked the ball past Lovett to give Carlisle a 3-0 advantage.
The Cumbrians noticeably took their foot off the gas after their third goal and both sides traded possession for the next 15 minutes or so before Ajiboye hit a half chance well over after a cross from Sam Murray fell to him after grazing the head of Carson. Graham Coughlan’s side were keen to let Carlisle know they weren’t down and out and forged a chance moments later as a well worked short corner routine ended at the feet of Carson, but his long ranged effort was hit well wide by the ex Grimsby man.
Carlisle weren’t shying away from looking for a 4th goal either and had a few chances towards the end of the first half as Callum Whelan attempted an audacious chip from 35 yards and had Lovett scrambling, but the ball dropped just onto the roof of the net. The Blues dominated the rest of the first half and largely limited the opposition to half chances and took a well deserved 3-0 lead into the half time interval.
Half Time: Carlisle 3 – 0 Boston
Carlisle had a tendency this season to switch off in the opening stages of halves and continued this trend in this game as Boston scored a quick goal after a Marcel Lavinier cross found the head of half time substitute Kieren Donnelly and the former Halesowen hot shot found the goal from close range.
The hosts hadn’t gotten out of the blocks at all in the second half and found their lead slashed to one just a minute later as experienced frontman Lenell John-Lewis was found unmarked by a Carson corner and he headed in from 6 yards to peg Carlisle back to 3-2. Coughlan had clearly sparked new life into his side in this second half and they came so close to an equaliser as a glancing header from Connor Teale was clawed away down low by the outstretched hand of Harry Lewis.
Boston had another decent chance to find an equaliser in the 56th minute as a chipped through ball found Donnelly, but his volley from a narrow angle was easily pushed away by Lewis. They were presented with another opportunity moments later as an Aaron Hayden back pass across the box left Lewis scrambling, his sliding clearnace only found a Boston man but his effort was superbly blocked by Feeney. The Pilgrims were made to regret the missed opportunity as Carlisle broke away on the counter attack with Williams, who found Ajiboye on the edge of the area before the ex Newport man slid the ball over to Whelan, who slipped the ball left to Conn-Clarke and the debutant slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to restore United’s two goal advantage.
Conn-Clarke, who signed for Carlisle on loan from Peterborough after weeks of speculation, notched his second in the 78th minute as a looping ball by Williams was latched onto by substitute Georgie Kelly, who laid the ball off to the ex Altrincham man who steadied himself before firing a long range shot from distance which Lovett got a big hand to, but he couldn’t stop the ball from dipping just under the bar to make it 5-2 to the hosts.
United came close to a sixth in the dying minutes as a 1-2 by youngster Sam Hetherington and Williams found the ex Gateshead man on the byline and his cut back was met by Kelly, but his first time effort rattled the crossbar. It didn’t matter ultimately however, and Carlisle secured their name in the hat for Monday’s first round draw.
Carlisle: Lewis, Murray, Feeney, Hayden, Williams, Whelan ( J. Jones 72′), Ellis (Hetherington 84′), Conn-Clarke (Davies 84′), Grant, Ajiboye (Gilliead 84′), Armstrong (G. Kelly 72′) Subs Not Used: Breeze, Linney,
Boston: Lovett, Teale, Mills, Sloggett (Coyle 76′), Hill, Maguire, Carson, Lankshear (M.Kelly 86′), Waldock (Donnelly 46′), Lavinier (Grist 86′), John-Lewis (Hiwula 76′). Subs Not Used: B. Jones, Hampson
How Did United Perform?
This was certainly always going to be an interesting affair after Hughes had named so many changes to the lineup, likely with one eye on next week’s big clash with Forest Green, but i don’t think people were expecting to see seven goals scored in this game.
Carlisle were like lightning in the first half and some of the play down the right hand side especially from Ajiboye and Williams was superb, they controlled the game and never really looked under any threat. Fair play to Boston though, they came out fighting in the second half and showed that they weren’t as down and out as they looked.
We’ve made a tendency of it to start both halves extremely slowly in games, even most recently against Hartlepool, despite it being a largely comfortable game for us, they almost scored in the opening minute of the first half and actually did score in the early stages of the second. This was evident again in this game and is something we need to work on.
That said however, overall it was a good performance and a superb debut by Conn-Clarke especially, and the performance of some of the players introduced into this game might give Hughes some food for thought going into next week’s massive fixture.
Carlisle Player Ratings:
Lewis – 6: Made a couple of decent saves but he almost made a hash of a couple as well, distribution not great at times, think Breeze still remains the better option.
Murray – 6: A bit better than his last two outings and showed good strength on occasion but still lacks confidence with the ball at his feet and he has a tendency to turn back a bit too often.
Hayden – 6: Had a good first half but looked extremely ropey in the second with a couple of questionable clearances and a poor back pass which almost led to a Boston equaliser, did make a couple of good challenges though in the early stages of that second half.
Feeney – 7: Didn’t do much wrong and was a threat from set pieces again, distribution from the back down the right hand side was excellent.
Williams – 9: Were it not for Conn-Clarke, would probably have been man of the match, electric all game and was a big part of three of United’s goals including the assist for Armstrong, didn’t have too much to do defending wise and will face sterner tests as a full back but was superb going forward.
Ellis – 7: Solid performance from him again, used the ball well and made plenty of positive runs from deep to keep Boston on their toes.
Grant – 8: Shielded the backline very well for the majority of the game and made some great tackles and interceptions, really starting to show his quality now after a slow start to his Carlisle career.
Whelan – 7: Looked closer to the Whelan we know from last season, found good amounts of space and spread the play around well.
Ajiboye – 8: Took his goal very well and looked more like the player we thought we were going to get, Boston really struggled to defend against his dribbling ability.
Conn-Clarke – 9 (MOTM): Two goals and an assist on your debut is a dream for most players and he got that today, still needs more minutes in his legs after a long spell away from playing but despite a lack of sharpness he still came up with two excellent goals.
Armstrong – 7: Took his goal well and linked up well with Ajiboye and Conn-Clarke when needed too, does still go missing for periods in games but overall a good performance from him.
Subs:
Jones – 6: Came on when the game had the sting taken out of it but used the ball well when he had it
Kelly – 6: Unlucky to hit the bar with his effort.
Hetherington, Davies, Gilliead – N/A (Not on long enough)
Please note these are Craig’s opinions and nothing official!
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