Cumbrians fight back to earn a point

Feb 8 2010 The Journal

Huddersfield Town 1, Carlisle United 1

HUDDERSFIELD Town stretched their amazing unbeaten league home run to 15 games, but Carlisle ran them close and had the better of the chances in what was a typical League One encounter.

Manager Greg Abbott said: “We knew we were going to have to stay tight and together if we wanted to get anything, and I am delighted with the way we stuck together and did the job.

“To go a goal down at a place like this and to still play the way we did should give us a lot of encouragement.

“We kept going and we looked the better team, and with a bit of luck we could have taken all three points.”

The Terriers saw plenty of the early ball, but the chance of the early exchanges fell to Danny Livesey when he rose to meet a Graham Kavanagh corner 14 yards from goal with a dipping header which bounced back off the angle of the woodwork.

Livesey said: “It was one of those you know has a chance once you get to it.

“When it went over the goalkeeper I thought it was in to be honest, and I was gutted when it came back off the bar.”

New Terriers recruit Dean Heffernan had the best chance of the first half for the home side, but goalkeeper Adam Collin came out on top of their one-on-one situation.

There was anger on the United bench when a quick break which led to a neat finish from Matt Robson was ruled out with a tight offside decision.

Abbott complained: “We felt it was a good goal but there is nothing you can do about it.

“Decisions like that seem to be going against us at the moment, but we put it behind us and played good football.” The Cumbrians’ resolve was tested to the full on 50 minutes when Pilkington gained a yard inside the area and guided his header past Collin to hand Huddersfield a strong starting position for the second half.

Centre-half Peter Murphy admitted: “We were disappointed with the way we conceded.

“The important thing then is you have to get back to it and make sure you take something from the game, and that is what we did.”

An all-action finish to the game saw Livesey take the ball off Pilkington’s toes when he stole into a dangerous shooting position with 15 minutes left to play, and that seemed to be the catalyst to a barnstorming finish for manager Abbott’s men.

Scott Dobie was first to test the Terriers’ metal with a close-range header from a Keogh cross which Smithies did well to tip over the bar. Carlisle stayed forward and winger Matt Robson overlapped into the penalty area on 82 minutes before cutting the ball back in front of goal.

That brought a calm finish and a first goal for the club from 18-year-old Stoke loanee Ben Marshall, who found the bottom corner.

Robson said: “I think it would have been unfair if we had taken nothing out of this.

“It was a great ball from Evan Horwood and I just laid it back. Ben Marshall did the rest.”

Marshall said: “I knew it was just a case of making sure I got it on target.”

HUDDERSFIELD: Smithies, Peltier, Peter Clarke, Trotman, Heffernan (Williams 75), Pilkington, Kay, Tom Clarke (Drinkwater 46), Roberts, Eccleston, Rhodes (Simpson 63). Subs (not used): Eastwood, Novak, Pearce, Nathan Clarke.

Booked: Kay, Peter Clarke. Goals: Pilkington 50.

CARLISLE: Collin, Keogh, Livesey, Harte (Murphy 46), Horwood, Hurst (Marshall 61), Clayton, Thirlwell, Robson, Darryl Duffy, Kavanagh (Dobie 61). Subs (not used): Pidgeley, Bridge-Wilkinson, Taiwo, Madine. Goals: Marshall 83.

Ref: Daniel Phillips (West Midlands) Att: 14,132