Taylor's strike seals win in bruising Southend game
Last updated 12:34, Monday, 08 September 2008
Carlisle 2 Southend 1: From Freedman to freed men. This was Carlisle United’s players liberating themselves from the psychological clamp that a crafty old striker had placed around their heads.
- Slideshow: more photos of the Southend game
For once against the Cumbrians, Dougie Freedman had the first word, but not the decisive last.
Southend’s new signing, who helped Leeds bring down the guillotine on United’s promotion bid last season, had threatened to tip John Ward’s players into another world of pain four months on.
The reflex response to his splendid 22nd-minute goal was to jerk from the seat and applaud, before the brain started thumping at the prospect of Carlisle suffering their first defeat of the campaign at the familiar hands of the 34-year-old Scot.
More applause, then, for the way the Blues rose up against this impertinence to claim the most bruising of comeback victories, which leaves them level on points with Oldham at League One’s summit and allows us to say without fear of argument that their play-off hangover is the headache that never came.
With Carlisle fleeing so convincingly from the frustrations of the recent past, their matchwinner simply had to be Cleveland Taylor, who has burst from last season’s enigmatic shell to arrive as a player of influence at the onset of autumn.
United’s renaissance man diving headlong across the wet turf in celebration of his maiden Blues goal is the picture-book moment of 2008/9 so far. “He is a lad everybody wants to love,” said Ward. “He does some strange things and some wonderful things, and he’s a player who people will remember in years to come.”
The winger’s decisive strike, 12 minutes from time, was in itself neither strange nor particularly wonderful: a basic, close-range blast once Danny Graham had worked the ball from his own tangled legs, at the end of a sweeping move involving Evan Horwood’s positive pass, Michael Bridges’ elegant touch and Simon Hackney’s low cross. “I think the whole stadium was willing it in, so I don’t think the ‘keeper had a chance,” smiled Taylor.
The former Scunthorpe man’s revival, which gathered impressive pace against Yeovil the previous weekend, we know about. Likewise Freedman’s predatory wiles in dangerous places.
But Saturday will also be remembered as the season’s first match to be shaped by Bridges, who rose from the bench to stunning acclaim then played the critical part in Taylor’s winner, after Graham had slotted Carlisle’s equaliser from the penalty spot.
So far this term we have seen a handful of modest cameos from Bridges, usually when games have already been won. This was different: the illustrious striker’s first opportunity to drag Carlisle out of a creative trough. The 30-year-old grasped it so convincingly that Ward’s puzzle now is whether United are best served by Bridges in this impact role from the bench, or significantly sooner.
Certainly, if the star loanee is not yet ready to bring his refined skills to bear on matters for 90 minutes, then the manager is perfectly entitled to adhere to Saturday’s strategy.
But given the extent to which Carlisle’s floor-football improved once Bridges appeared, dropping deep and linking play, a public clamour for his inclusion may not be far away.
It’s the sort of quandary that didn’t appear likely to claim high billing during a grinding first half: a 45-minute spell edged by Steve Tilson’s muscular side and tarnished rather by the odd decision-making of referee Andy Haines (“I don’t think he knew what day of the week it was,” observed the Southend boss).
United’s first chance - a scramble in the six-yard box, a blocked shot from Peter Murphy - crystallised the patchy nature of the entertainment. Then, out of the bleak landscape of tetchy challenges and overhit passes appeared Freedman, with the half’s only outbreak of attacking class.
Southend’s opener emerged from a rash of indecision between David Raven and Paul Thirlwell as Carlisle tried to break from the back. Jean-Francois Christophe intercepted and then fed the deep-lying Freedman, who cut into space and curled a perfect left-footer past the flying Ben Williams from 20 yards. That this was the visitors’ only attack of note said something for United’s willing defending, but also plenty about Freedman’s ruthlessness.
Carlisle’s own surges were rusty in the rain. Danny Carlton pounced on Christophe’s slip and almost teed up Graham. Murphy had a glancing header blocked and then a free-kick claimed by Steve Mildenhall. But otherwise the eyes fell on the likes of Adam Barrett, Southend’s shaven-headed captain who seemed to savour his task of entering repeated aerial combat with Carlisle’s two strikers.
What United required was a surge in pace and vibrancy for the second half. What they got, after a near-miss from Southend’s Hal Robson-Kanu and then the raucously-greeted introduction of Bridges for Carlton in the 63rd minute, was a game-turning moment of fortune in the Southend penalty area.
Peter Clarke’s trifling shove on Danny Livesey after David Raven’s free-kick was the sort which Mr Haines had previously recoiled from punishing. This time, the spot-kick was awarded and Graham brushed home his sixth goal of the season.
This put United in more vigorous mood, although there was significant defensive work to be completed before they could take victory. First, Horwood - the victim of much of Southend’s physicality on his best performance of the season to date - denied the raiding Kevin Betsy with a fine sliding challenge.
Then Livesey superbly snuffed out Lee Barnard at the far post after Christophe had ambushed Bridge-Wilkinson in midfield.
It was an act of defiance which deserved something in return at the other end - and United obliged with their finest attack of the game.
Horwood kick-started things with an urgent press forward. Bridges’ delicate flick to the sprinting Hackney was, in its own way, as easy on the eye as anything Freedman had previously attempted.
And when Graham failed to bury the left-winger’s low cross, the striker deserves credit for retrieving the chance and teeing up the relentless Taylor.
Not that Carlisle’s second goal ended the drama: in the closing minutes, Williams saved splendidly from Dan Harding and then, at the opposite end, Bridges sent Horwood scampering down the left, only for Hackney to drill the game’s final chance into a Southend body.
Here’s an inventory of the things this victory was not: slick, colourful, show-stopping, fluent. Here’s a more important fact: Carlisle still found a way to beat a team few will hurdle with ease this season, whilst also removing Freedman’s thumbscrews. It warms the spirit to type that sentence as Cumbria’s summer gets washed away.
BEN WILLIAMS - Other than one poor kick, United’s goalkeeper could not be faulted. Important late save from Harding.
DAVID RAVEN - Involved in the mix-up that led to Southend’s goal, but defended aggressively and is yet to have an off-day this season.
EVAN HORWOOD - Frequently in the wars but did not shy from his defensive duties, and played a key part in Carlisle’s second-half revival. 8
DANNY LIVESEY - Crucial contribution to deny Barnard which typified the centre-half’s defiant day in awkward conditions.
PETER MURPHY - Defended confidently against a dangerous Shrimpers front line, remains in sound form.
PAUL THIRLWELL - Looked up for the battle in a physical midfield contest. A good captain’s display.
MARC BRIDGE-WILKINSON - Didn’t exert much creative influence and sometimes caught in possession, but wasn’t afraid to get stuck in as the tackles flew.
SIMON HACKNEY - Up against a tough full-back in Francis, but remained persistent and helped set up Taylor’s winner.
CLEVELAND TAYLOR - Worked tirelessly down the right without much fortune - but deserved to be the day’s hero.
DANNY GRAHAM - Dispatched his sixth of the season with confidence and kept his composure to set up Taylor for the winner.
DANNY CARLTON - Didn’t shy from physical confrontations with Southend’s giant defenders, but didn’t have much attacking impact.
Subs: Michael Bridges (for Carlton, 63) - Moment of class inspired Blues to win the game. 7; Gary Madine (for Graham, 88) - Kept pressure on visitors in closing stages. 6. Not used: Chris Howarth, Luke Joyce, Richard Keogh.
MatchFacts
United: Williams, Raven, Horwood, Livesey, Murphy, Bridge-Wilkinson, Thirlwell, Hackney, Taylor, Graham (Madine 88), Carlton (Bridges 63). Subs: Howarth, Joyce, Keogh.
Booked: Raven, Thirlwell, Horwood
Goals: Graham 63 pen, Taylor 78
Southend: Mildenhall, Francis, Harding, Clarke, Barrett, Robson-Kanu (Walker 79), Grant, Christophe, Betsy (Revell 88), Barnard (Furlong 89), Freedman. Subs: Sankofa, Masters.
Booked: Robson-Kanu, Christophe
Goal: Freedman 22
Att: 6,561
Ref: A Haines (Tyne &Wear)
