http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/carlisl...orts/1.1011774
Carlisle Utd impress but Preston grab a late equaliser - again
Last updated at 11:58, Wednesday, 07 November 2012
Preston 1 Carlisle United 1: This is what we have waited for many weeks to see: Carlisle United reacquainting themselves with the hard art of defending, as opposed to the days they have built barriers to their goal with only tissue paper.
On most other nights this rediscovered strength at the back would have been rewarded with a clean sheet, not the cruel stain applied by Graham Cummins, the Preston sub, in the 94th minute.
But this is Deepdale, where Carlisle also shed an injury-time equaliser last season. Even when Greg Abbott’s team performs capably there are usually one or two complications in store.
So it was last night, when Cummins – not the most popular substitute ever let loose on Deepdale’s green acres – put a header into the only part of the net which Adam Collin simply couldn’t reach.
That perfectly-taken goal, by a much-criticised opposition striker, had the same effect on this Lancashire stronghold as some of the fireworks that were blasting off outside the ground when this hot dispute was being played out. Preston’s stadium exploded with relief; United’s players and fans may have wished to shield their ears.
For long spells it did not look like ending this way. United, so generous to other teams this autumn, were transformed last night into a sharp, aggressive collective, with a blob of outright poison at their tip.
There were highly competent performances across Carlisle’s back line, where chaos has too often reigned in 2012/13, and also in a high-energy midfield in which Brad Potts, 18, was outstanding in the holding position, bursting into tackles and hunting down the second ball. But the defining man from an early stage was Joe Garner, whose 31st minute penalty put United ahead in a personal performance high on devil and melodrama.
Preston’s supporters will doubtless reach for other words to describe the striker, who now has six goals in 11 games. Of all Carlisle’s players it is Garner who least resembles a cub scout in their all-green travelling kit.
Back in 2008 this was a weekly guilty pleasure for United’s supporters, this watching of Garner straying close to and sometimes crossing the line when bothering centre-halves. His route back to consistency has been slower this time but this display was familiar in all regards.
The fascination with Garner is that he generally takes you into bright and dark places in a single hour-and-a-half episode. In one phase, he is glancing the ball deftly around the front line and showing icy finishing, as he did from the spot to beat Steve Simonsen, the Preston keeper.
Moments later you look back up and he is there at centre-stage again, grinding away unpleasantly with his opposite number, making the most of trifling challenges and then jogging off to the flash of a referee’s yellow card, sometimes – but not always – in his direction.
Here he picked as an opponent Paul Huntington, the Carlisle-born defender subjected to booing from the travelling contingent, who recall some unwise gestures aimed their way in his Leeds United days. On 58 minutes these two men came together in disagreement, foreheads pressed together.
There was eventually a short, forward nudge from Huntington. Garner crashed down as if shot. Tempers were eventually settled with a booking apiece from referee Richard Clark. And so the game proceeded, always with edge in the air.
This was the post-watershed element to an otherwise wholesome effort from United, who appeared frightfully fortunate to avoid a fourth-minute Preston goal, when Scott Laird’s inswinging corner seemed to sail over the line before Collin scooped it away.
Not so, said the officials, and United made good on their reprieve, with Potts quickly putting himself around with good intent, often dropping very deep to deal with danger, which came firstly from Stuart Beavon – his shot was blocked by Mike Edwards – and then the quick but erratic David Amoo.
In the opening stages Carlisle had plenty of defending to do but they were doing it well, their midfielders working furiously to keep the ball away from tricky areas and eventually getting it in Preston’s half for a decent time.
By the midpoint of the half James Berrett had put himself into a couple of good positions without profit, Potts had blasted a 25-yarder down Simonsen’s throat and the recalled Kallum Higginbotham had made another promising break down the left flank.
Then came the cleaner cut, as Potts began an attack which seemed to die with Berrett being tackled, but as Huntington then left the ball to roll back to Simonsen, Garner nipped onto it and was upended by the sliding keeper (who should have been booked for the challenge). The penalty was clinical and Carlisle’s supporters boomed their approval.
The remainder of the half saw Garner and Preston’s players share the frustration handed down by the home supporters. When Amoo appeared to give up on a chase with the commanding Peter Murphy, loud moans went up. As North End’s creativity went awry, Berrett and Garner had more half-chances, while Edwards tackled back superbly on Amoo.
United, it was clear, were benefiting from having got themselves into an uncommon leading position, which they almost extended early in the second half when Berrett was denied at the last by Chris Robertson and Potts had a header blocked.
The period when Graham Westley’s team would enjoy better possession and test United harder was surely at hand, though, and the manager tried to increase their lines of attack with Lee Holmes, a half-time sub, and then Akpo Sodje, who replaced Amoo after the Garner-Huntington set-to.
As the pressure increased, Holmes whipped a peach of a free-kick onto Sodje’s head but the striker skied the chance. The persistent Beavon then chanced his arm, but Carlisle retained a certain threat, breaking from base once or twice as Garner went close from 25 yards and the positive work of Berrett and Liam Noble lit further avenues at Preston’s end (though Abbott, in hindsight, may wish he had sent on a substitute with fresh legs to trouble North End further in these tiring stages).
Instead, it was mainly corn-earning time for his defenders, who stepped forward manfully after Collin kept out, just, a Nicky Wroe drive.
In the trenches, Murphy repelled a Holmes attempt, Collin survived a risky chase with Sodje at the edge of his box, then commandingly claimed a cross before Chris Chantler produced what looked like the final, supreme act of defiance when he hurled his small frame against a Beavon piledriver.
“Unbelievable bravery,” was Abbott’s description for the moment when his intrepid left-back became a human shield. It was a shame, then, that United couldn’t have deployed Chantler on the goalline when Cummins finally met Holmes’ inswinger, but there must always be acknowledgement for a goal so well made and taken, even when it hurts badly.
In any case, replays may prove that it was only what Preston had been denied 90 minutes sooner (“I’m staggered it wasn’t given,” complained Westley of the Laird corner in a wide-ranging tirade about the officials), so the Blues would find it hard to make any claim of injustice stick.
Nor can the old “gamesmanship” debate be resumed without fair reference to the dark arts being practiced by Garner, though some may believe any Westley protests on that matter to be especially ripe.
Abbott, it can be safely assumed, will sidestep all of that murky business and simply approve of the better things he saw, of which none was more welcome than the sight of the Blues looking resolute under fire, at last, even when 94 minutes was a handful of seconds too long.
ADAM COLLIN - Seemed to have been reprieved as Preston’s early goal was disallowed. Afterwards he claimed some testing crosses and just about kept out a Wroe shot, but just couldn’t reach Cummins’ header.
FRANK SIMEK - In the first half Laird did not pose the problems he can, and Simek was an unfussy defensive presence. Holmes’ trickery improved Preston down the left and his cross led to the leveller.
CHRIS CHANTLER - Battling a heel problem, the left-back was stretched by Amoo in the first half and needed support to limit the right-sided threat. Didn’t offer much change to Westley’s men after break and put in one brilliant late block.
MIKE EDWARDS - Only once in early stages was he beaten by Beavon, out wide, but in his more familiar central ground the defender was excellent, blocking shots and winning plenty in the air. A strong effort.
PETER MURPHY - Dealt with most of the danger that came his way with a cool head and a good reading of the game. Was aggressive when required and distribution was of good standard.
BRAD POTTS - Looked immediately at home in his defensive midfield role, the teenager excelled as he got quickly into tackles and helped United retain possession. Especially in first half he outshone many more experienced players.
JAMES BERRETT - Often the more advanced of Carlisle’s midfield men as he tried to drive forward on the counter-attack. Did his duties in the defensive effort but final touch in attacking third needed more quality.
LIAM NOBLE - Noble rarely leaves anything in the tank and this was another typical high-energy effort. Kept going right to the end as he got in the way of several Preston attacks and turned defence into attack.
JP MCGOVERN - There were times when Carlisle benefited from McGovern’s experience when the ball came his way. Did not create a great deal but was disciplined in his overall effort for the team.
KALLUM HIGGINBOTHAM - Showed pace down the left and willing to carry the ball forward in search of opportunities. End product has to improve but did get Carlisle on the front foot at times.
JOE GARNER - The archetypal Garner display, which riled Preston immensely, sometimes justifiably so. But there were also some high quality moments and his penalty was clinical.
Not used: Mark Gillespie, Andy Welsh, Danny Cadamarteri, Josh Todd, Dave Symington, Sean McGinty, Alessio Bugno.
Goal: Garner 31 pen.
Booked: Garner.
Preston North End: Simonsen, Keane, Wright (Holmes 46), Huntington, Robertson, Laird, Byrom, Wroe, Amoo (Sodje 60), King (Cummins 79), Beavon. Not used: Stuckmann, Procter, Beardsley, Hayhurst.
Goal: Cummins 90.
Booked: Robertson, Holmes, Huntington.
Ref: Richard Clark (Northumberland).
Crowd: 9,249 (941 Carlisle fans)
