14 on the trot as United strengthen grip on promotion
Last updated 18:51, Friday, 28 March 2008
Carlisle United 2 Northampton Town 0: SORRY to start on a negative, but whilst offering his thoughts on Carlisle’s 14th straight home victory, Danny Livesey voiced an ambition which can no longer be achieved.
As John Ward’s men sailed further away from the moorings which had been keeping them in tight proximity to the play-off flotilla, United’s captain and goalscoring centre-half suggested that the remainder of their promotion push might be played out in secret.
“The pundits never mention Carlisle,” said Livesey, whose opening strike against Northampton was his sixth of a fruitful season. “We’ve slipped into second place quietly and hopefully no-one will make a big deal out of it.
“We prefer to be the surprise packages. With a bit of luck, those people will keep going on about the likes of Doncaster and Nottingham Forest and they won’t mention how well Carlisle are doing.”
To which the only sensible response must be: forget it, pal. Football, the media and the great British public, none of which have faultless track records, would have to display ignorance on an unprecedented scale to overlook the side who now stare down on 22 of their divisional rivals with increasing self-assurance.
Even to the most passive observer of the English game's third tier, the curtain has now been jerked away and the hot lights are on Carlisle, in whose hands an automatic promotion place unquestionably rests, and who should by no means disregard the possibility of a title challenge after Swansea saw two more points drop into the incinerator last night.
While the League One leaders were scrambling a draw against Bristol Rovers, Carlisle’s supporters were probably mopping each other’s brows as they absorbed the salient facts of the day.
From the top: Carlisle are now five points clear of third placed Doncaster and three goals better off in the goal difference column. The Blues can also vault over Swansea if they win their game in hand and then lance the leaders at Brunton Park on April 8. And, maybe critically, five of United’s remaining eight games are at home, where Ward’s players do not appear anywhere near ready to relinquish their record-breaking winning run.
All this information needs to be taken in with a chair and glass of water close to hand. If the vision of Championship football remained blurry heading into the Easter weekend, six points in three days has since made it high-definition sharp. Across Carlisle, eyes are now out on stalks whenever a league table or a fixture list creeps into view.
Yesterday’s victory over the Cobblers was as meaningful as the best of United’s 22 triumphs this season, because it offered solid evidence that the Blues are just as comfortable being hunted as they were as the hunters. Northampton swung into town with a plot to bring down one of the prime promotion contenders and it took a display of quite some diligence to see them off.
Forget Saturday’s carnival at Leyton Orient; this was a more authentic, troublesome League One engagement. United started it crisply and might have taken an early lead when Chris Lumsdon clipped a pass to Danny Graham, who skimmed the post from a sharp angle.
Mark Bunn tipped over a Simon Hackney missile, Lumsdon lifted a decent chance over, and Peter Murphy was off-target with a header. But then Stuart Gray’s side started to reveal some of the qualities which had seen them nose into the play-off race these past few weeks.
In the 25th minute, Daniel Jones, a target for home fans’ derision after some early amateur dramatics and a toxic exchange with referee Neil Swarbrick, served up a fine opportunity for Adebayo Akinfenwa. But United’s burly executioner from the 2006 Football League Trophy final could only stab the ball over after turning into space.
Giles Coke then scuffed a golden chance into Keiren Westwood’s arms as the visitors found some midfield gaps. A Jones block from Graham closed out the half, and there was a measure of relief when Carlisle eventually punched a lasting hole in Northampton’s back line three minutes after the restart.
With the stamp of a training-ground initiative, Simon Hackney bent a corner into the box, Peter Murphy glanced it on with expert technique, and Livesey slammed it high into Bunn’s net from close range; that's four goals in nine games now for a man who must be the envy of goal-shy strikers everywhere.
It could quickly have been two, when the ever-improving Cleveland Taylor curled a left-footed half-volley just wide. It should have been two when Hackney sent Graham clean through, only for the striker to poke past the post. And it really ought to have been two when Hackney bustled past Jason Crowe but dinked a tame shot into Bunn’s arms.
There then followed a spell of sustained pressing from the visitors, notably when lively sub Jon Hayes sped through the middle and set up the athletic Coke for a likely leveller, only for Westwood to race out and make the crucial block.
Reprieved by their ‘keeper, United finally hustled a decisive second. Mark Little – impressive all afternoon in Gray’s back four – short-circuited on the left of the Cobblers area when he underhit a backpass to Bunn. Graham retrieved possession and then unselfishly played in Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, the midfielder calmly dispatched the clinching goal, and suddenly Hot Cross Bunn became the dreadful Easter pun that could no longer be withheld.
Another fact which needs to be thrown onto the shipment of praise heading down Warwick Road is that United are doing all this without their prolific record signing, Joe Garner, and their influential club captain Paul Thirlwell, both of whom are injured and therefore obliged to stare on from the sidelines, along with midfielder Jeff Smith.
As the wounded trio press their noses against the window, United’s undamaged players sensibly continue to raise the flag of caution, since eight remaining games is more than enough time for events to change direction. Doncaster, held at home by Oldham yesterday (the Yorkshre side's first point in three games) will be first in the queue to tell you that a creativity crash stalks even the most confident of sides and can strike at any moment.
Don't doubt that the Cumbrians will now be scrutinised like never before for signs of weakness. As it stands, their reading on that score is low. May it remain that way, for eight more emotionally-bruising soap operas on grass.
