Scunthorpe United v Carlisle United

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Football League One

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Byrne, Mirfin (Iriekpen 46), Pearce, Williams, Thompson (Sparrow 59), McCann, Togwell, Hurst (Woolford 58), Hayes, Hooper
Subs not used:
Lillis, Morris

Carlisle United :
Williams, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood, Taylor, Bridge-Wilkinson, Thirlwell, Hackney, Graham (Dobie 71), Carlton
Subs not used:
Howarth, Joyce, Keogh, Madine

OPPOSITION VIEW

FROM THE EXPRESS AND STAR, CARLISLE

YOU see a game like this and the first instinct is to recline, light a cigar and spend the evening contemplating its quality, its pace, its entertainment score.

League One's best colours were raised at Glanford Park on Saturday; five thousand people watched two teams sprinting forward with energy and ideas under the North Lincolnshire sun.

But since this isn't a theatre review, we'll park the gushing praise right there and instead reach for the reasons why Carlisle United emerged from such a feast for the senses with frustration jabbing at their brains.

They are, in no particular order: wasteful Cumbrian finishing, a high-class goalkeeping display from Scunthorpe's Joe Murphy and a spookily effective double substitution from the home manager, Nigel Adkins, which allowed the Iron to flatten United's unbeaten start to this new campaign.

If there was a prize for the best managerial intervention of the season, they could close the competition now and pass the trophy to Adkins, who tossed Martyn Woolford and Matt Sparrow into the mix after 58 minutes and then watched them unite to open the scoring three minutes later.

It needs to be said, however, that this lightning bolt from the home bench only had its obliterating impact because Carlisle had failed to pocket a surplus of first-half chances, thereby exposing themselves to ambush once Scunthorpe found their full attacking range.

Adkins gets good marks for introducing the dynamic Woolford early enough for the former York City winger to exert maximum influence on an increasingly open game (he played a defining part in Paul Hayes' poached winner, too). But that's a firm third on the list of explanations for Carlisle's defeat, after a lack of conviction in dangerous places from John Ward's men, and the brilliance of Murphy, the Eire international 'keeper who created the illusion of being roughly eight feet tall whenever United danced into his penalty area.

The awkward truth is that Carlisle crammed a month's worth of chances into this game but only rippled the net once, when Danny Carlton finally slammed one past Murphy in the 77th minute and generated a chaotic closing spell from which Scunthorpe only just emerged.

The final 13 minutes alone contained makeable chances for Simon Hackney and Cleveland Taylor; the first 45 saw both those players fail to profit from other promising positions. The match-ball, meanwhile, ought to be on display at the residence of Carlisle's number 10 today.A fizzing game coughed up Carlton's first chance in the sixth minute: Paul Thirlwell dinked a fine ball forward to Taylor, and the winger threw over a tidy low cross which crept behind Danny Graham and drew only a scuffed finish from the lurking Carlton.

Taylor, warmly received by the home fans at his former club, then inspired opportunity number two, driving in from the wing and then sliding a perfect pass through the defence for Carlton, whose arrowing run ended with a firm, low shot but also a solid, diving save from Murphy.

United, with Thirlwell and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson operating to decent effect in midfield, were threading together some pleasing passing moves. But Scunthorpe, prompted by Grant McCann and given focus in attack by the bustling Gary Hooper, were always a live threat. One McCann corner from the left deserved better then Garry Thompson's wasteful header, as the former Morecambe winger rose unmarked.As a vibrant half continued, Danny Livesey blocked successive shots from Krystian Pearce and Kevan Hurst, then Graham clipped an easy chance into orbit as the offside flag was raised.

More Carlisle profligacy: a Hackney cross, Murphy's fumble and Taylor's blast into the side-netting; and then Hackney's weak shot which scarcely tested the 'keeper after a spirited run which took him past home defender David Mirfin.David Raven booted clear a dangerous Hooper cross, Thirlwell brilliantly denied Hurst, and then Graham failed to apply a convincing finish to Taylor's superb left-wing cross. Fifteen minutes' respite for half-time, then it began again. Raven and Livesey attentively foiled Scunthorpe raids early in the second half, before United sprang back at their hosts only for Carlton to glance a Bridge-Wilkinson chance fractionally wide and then pummel a left-footed effort at Murphy after Graham's cushioned pass.

Students of fate knew precisely where this was heading. First, Adkins reached for the toolkit and made his double substitution. Then Woolford darted down the left, flashed over a superb cross which landed, via Hayes' flick, onto Sparrow's head. He buried the most basic of chances. How it stung.Scunthorpe, now buoyant, almost nicked a quick second, Livesey racing back to clear Hooper's effort off the line, after the striker had pipped Ben Williams to Hayes' intelligent flick. But then the decisive goal did arrive: a home counter-attack led by Woolford, whose dashing run ended with a dangerous, low shot which Williams could only parry.

Hayes, who had been growing increasingly impressive as a target man, turned sniper. He scampered onto the loose ball, and clipped the chance home.Encouragingly, Carlisle quickly threw a punch back at Adkins' team. There was an urgent run from Evan Horwood, a fine centre from Taylor, a deft chested pass from the substitute Scott Dobie, and a rattling left-footed finish from Carlton which Murphy could only push into the corner of the net.

A shame they couldn't complete their reply in those pressing final moments: Taylor failing with two more bashes at goal and then, finally, Hackney ripping a shot narrowly over from the left of the area.Only when United fully sharpen up in such areas can we say they possess all the tools to prise their way into the Championship. As it was, we found ourselves ladling out praise for their flamboyant attacking but then deducting crucial marks for their inadequate strike rate.

Ward may wish to pursue this matter on the training ground before Leeds rumble into town in five days' time. To threaten Gary McAllister's marauders, Carlisle first need to win their private war on waste.