Scunthorpe 2, Carlisle United 1

Sep 15 2008 by Andy Hall, The Journal

WHEN fans talk about the defining moment in any game, they can usually point to one incident, one event, perhaps one tackle, and say: ‘That was it’.

However, in a thrilling top-of-the-table League One clash at Glanford Park there were several such events.

Perhaps it came in the 13th minute when man-of-the-match Joe Murphy stopped a goal-bound Danny Carlton shot that was heading for his bottom corner.

Or, possibly, it was on 27 minutes when keeper Murphy made his only mistake and dropped a Horwood cross, under pressure from Carlton, at the feet of former Irons favourite Cleveland Taylor. With the width of the goal to aim at, the shot hit the side netting.

Maybe it was five minutes later when one-touch football carved open the home defence only for Murphy to stay big as winger Simon Hackney raced towards him. All were, on their day, game-changing moments. But what can’t be ignored was the impact the 58th-minute introduction of substitutes Matt Sparrow and Martyn Woolford had on what was a faltering Scunthorpe attack.

Suddenly there was a purpose, movement and penetration that had previously been lacking for the hosts. Within three minutes of their arrival Iron were one up, thanks to a jinking Woolford run down the Carlisle right. His cross, beautifully flighted, was flicked on by Paul Hayes and Sparrow had the relatively-simple task of crunching his close-range header in.

Ten minutes later the lead was doubled when Woolford cut inside and thumped a low shot across Ben Williams. He got a hand to it, but Hayes was first to react to the parry by lifting it in.

Danny Carlton threw Carlisle a lifeline when he swept a Scott Dobie pass beyond the dive of Murphy, with less than 15 minutes to play. But it was too little too late for a side who should have been out of sight before they conceded their first.

Irons’ boss Nigel Adkins said: “People are talking about the substitutions, but we can’t ignore the saves that we have seen from Joe Murphy. He was fantastic, and he must take full credit for the three points that we got today.’’

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

Goals: Sparrow 62, Hayes 73.

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

Goal: Carlton 77.

Attendance: 5,188.

Referee: Mike Thorpe (Suffolk).