Carlisle United 2 Stockport County 2 ( Football League 2 ) Tuesday 18 April 2023

 

 

( All words and images by hedgegrower)

County were again forced to accept a single point at the end of a typically blood and thunder encounter with a very decent Carlisle side at Brunton Park last night.

It finished 2-2 and although many might be tempted to say that was a fair result for much of the game County looked distinctly second best and indebted to Ben Hinchliffe`s inspirational keeping.

But sadly, a string of Ben`s finest saves were not enough to inspire County to win the game but it takes two to tango and Carlisle were most definitely not here to dance.

County did take the lead on the half hour thanks to a well taken finish by Hippolyte, but before that and thereafter Carlisle looked the sharper of the two teams. They were, it has to be said, aided by some poor defending from County at times and before we knew it our lead had disappeared.

Thankfully County rallied late on, and the away end was buzzing as substitute Connor Evans equalised with the sweetest of headers with 5 minutes of normal time left.

It was a valiant response but whilst County took the game to their opponents consistently in these later minutes and with a shade of good fortune might have nicked it, Carlisle overall and indeed in those later minutes did not just sit back and hope but took the game to the blues when they could.

As I write this I do not know how this leaves us as regards promotion. I rather suspect that we are possibly play-offs bound now, and whilst they are an awful lottery, and some tough challenges await us there if that`s indeed where we are headed, if we bring our best game to every match- we will have a chance.

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Over 7000 were inside Brunton Park( a terrifically traditional real football stadium) at 7.45 to see Paul Simpson`s Carlisle open on the front foot against County. John-Kymani Gordon was foiled by the head of Chris Hussey, and before a minute was out Stretton had us cheering with a break deep into home territory that ultimately came to nought.

Another minute and the all-action stuff continued as Gordon pinged another worryingly good ball in from the left, but Joel Senior skied a poor effort over the top.

Madden then had a shot deflected for a corner which County could make nothing of – we were already missing Rydel`s set pieces!

Croasdale was proving from the off that he was in top nick though with a very firm intervention to break up a Carlisle attack. Unfortunately, County did not build on that moment- Hinchliffe being called on for urgent action shortly after dispatching the ball from the danger zone into the stands.

Just 5 minutes had gone by and we already knew that we were witnessing another typical County v Carlisle end to end tussle just like countless days of old!

Slowly Carlisle began to give their support room for optimism, but it was Paddy Madden who went closest to scoring for County, his firm header just missing out on 10 minutes.

Gordon then put County under pressure forcing Wright to concede a corner and County struggled to clear it conceding another that Wright and Knoyle did well to repel but not totally clear and this brought Jack Armer to the fore, and he leathered a blistering drive goal ward where somehow Hinchliffe managed to tip the ball over the bar- a terrific save!

Ben punched the resultant corner clear next sending Stretton clear, but he was blocked enroute to goal. From the subsequent throw a chance emerged for Collar but with the home defenders` static to a man, and the goal gaping, he put his shot wide.

Carlisle were worryingly sharp now, and looking likely at any minute to produce something nasty for the blues to attempt to digest and ex Hatter Kristian Dennis was the man for that particular job blasting a belter goal ward that he must have thought was in for sure until Hinchliffe flung himself to his left to make a sensational one handed save keeping it at 0-0!

County weathered that storm slowly working their way back into the game but there was disappointment on 31 minutes when Stretton miss hit his shot from Madden`s pass, but our angst was but short lived as…enter Myles Hippolyte who planted a very tidy strike indeed beyond keeper Tom Holy`s flailing arms into the net from Camps pass.

County had the lead, and it was celebration time on the Away End and rightly so!

This geed the blues up no end but unfortunately Stretton`s final ball to Knoyle with Carlisle stretched 3 minutes later was too strong for the County number 3 and the move broke down.

Carlisle were not going anywhere though, and they put County under pressure not long after- Hinchliffe again coming to their aid with an authoritative claim in the crowded box.

The pressure continued from Carlisle and the applause for Knoyle who was responding well to a potentially difficult situation.

County replied  in what remained of the first half but despite winning corners and free kicks did not go close to adding to their lead which stayed 1-0 as the teams trouped off the park at half time.

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The second half opened like the first with both team taking turns attacking the other- Gordon winning a corner for Carlisle which Hinchliffe punched out under pressure. But County struggled to clear their lines with Carlisle looking decidedly interested in nicking a goal, whilst at the other end Hippolyte was well policed by Senior when he broke clear 3 minutes into the half.

Hippolyte did not let that last outcome daunt him and some lovely work from him sent Stretton on the charge another 3 minutes on only for Callum Guy to spoil County`s party with a firm blocking tackle.

But the County party would be spoiled further just one minute on from that action as Carlisle won a corner. This was landed smack in front of goal where Joe Mellish fired home from on the line with County`s defence ( including Ben )watching impotently.

Things looked likely to go from bad to worse with the next action as Horsfall was spooked into conceding a corner, unnecessarily I thought, but we had to defend it particularly as Mellish was eagerly heading the queue at County`s back post. One further Carlisle corner and their momentum was halted for now as Mr Parsons gave County a free kick to ease their angst.

County were looking second best to Carlisle for sure only Owen Moxon`s lax free kick letting the blues off the hook.

Moxon returned to the fray on the hour however, his effort this time much better but finding Hinchliffe on the other end of it nullifying its effect.

Then County responded and it came via a free kick for a foul by Dennis on Knoyle. Hussey lined it up sending it fizzing towards the back post where Horsfall, straining every sinew, was a mere whiskers width away from putting it away.

It started to get better from County next Collar and Knoyle teeing Croasdale up for a shot that was deflected for a corner. County tried to force the ball home from this but without success getting a similar outcome from Mr Parsons when they thought Collar had been fouled, unfortunately he didn`t agree and it stayed 1-1.

On it went- Camp shooting wide from Madden`s pass on 66 minutes as Tanto came on for Stretton with just over 20 minutes left.

But it did not last, and Carlisle came at County again through substitute Patrick who was kept out by good defensive work by Hussey after Moxon had burgled possession off Wright setting our hosts up.

The pressure continued on County, but with 11 minutes left we saw a chink of light as Hippolyte snaffled possession sending Madden clear. In turn Paddy passed to Tanto and we held our breath as he took a pace or two down the left before sending his shot goalward. It was truly agonising to watch as Tanto`s shot was pushed ever so slowly around the post by the keeper. 

We needed that to have gone in, and our discipline needed to be sharp and, on the button, too, but the otherwise excellent Knoyle chose the 81^st minute to put us under pressure by fouling his man. Hinchliffe dealt with the free kick, but that was not good.

It then looked to get better when, a couple of minutes later Knoyle was fouled himself ushering in a free kick that looked to bring with it distinct possibilities. The ball was soon with Madden then Tanto but County just couldn`t apply the right finish and eventually Patrick won the ball from us quickly supplying Moxon who exchanged passes with Edmondson before slamming the ball home from about a yard out.

That seemed like the death knell of our hopes, but DC chose the moment to bring on Evans and Johnson for Wright and Croasdale and within a minute the changes brought a result as Hussey`s cross was superbly headed home by Evans.

County were level at 2-2 and it was Carlisle now who were under the cosh as, roared on by over a thousand supporters, they took the game to their opponents bringing the best out of Holy in the Carlisle goal.

But it was back to `end to end` as we headed for added time with Carlisle forcing a series of corners- Hinchliffe doing well to keep Edmondson`s point blank header out 2 minutes into the extra period.

Back came County though only for handball by Tanto to enable Carlisle to weather the storm.

And it was a storm too Holy doing exceedingly well to end up clutching the ball as County forwards encountered a series of `feet in glue` moments as they strove to force a third goal home.

Of course,Carlisle came back at County again in the game`s dying embers – it was that sort of game, but County held firm for the point that in the end was arguably a good return from a game full of excitement that could have gone either way.

It was not what we came for, but we look to the game with Rochdale on Saturday to go again giving them full respect but going for a full haul of points.

See you there then.

 

Carlisle United line up :-

Holy , Senior , Armer , Moxon , Huntingdon, Gibson ( Patrick 72) , Guy , Dennis ( Edmondson 72) ,Whelan , Mellish , Gordon .

Subs not used : Kelly , Devitt , Robinson , Mc Calmont , Garner.

 

Stockport County line up:-

Hinchliffe , Knoyle , Wright ( R Johnson 84) , Horsfall , Hussey , Croasdale ( Evans 84) ,Hippolyte , Camps , Collar , Madden , Stretton ( Olaofe 68).

Subs not used : Jaros , Byrne , Davenport , Rowe.

 

Attendance : 7198 ( 1052)

 

hedgegrower

 

Some crowd shots from hedgegrower`s phone:-