Carlisle United Reserves 5
Wrexham Reserves 3
Central League (West Division)

Match Report

With the first team in action at Llanelli in the FAW Premier Cup on the same day it was a youthful looking side that travelled up the M6 to Brunton Park looking to bounce back from the defeat by Blackpool in the previous outing that had brought a four-game unbeaten run to an end.

Conall Murtagh returned to action after the head injury he sustained at Chesterfield on New Year’s Day and Jamie Reed wore the red shirt again in between completing his loan spell at Aberystwyth Town and beginning a new one at blue Square North side Tamworth. The young striker, who has a good goal scoring record at this level, gave the Dragons a 2-1 interval lead but a second hat-trick from former Wales U21 striker Kevin Gall proved crucial as the hosts eventually ran out 5-3 winners.

Carlisle opened the scoring in the 4th minute when Luke Joyce won the ball in the middle of the park and set of on a driving run. After exchanging passes with Gall he slipped the ball through to Danny Carlton who shot across Michael Jones and into the far corner of the net from 12 yards out. On 14 minutes the Dragons were level when a defensive mix up allowed Matty Done to take possession just outside penalty area. The wingman then played in Mike Carvill whose rising shot was too good for keeper Chris Howarth. Two minutes later the Dragons went ahead when a deep corner was headed back across the Carlisle box and an unmarked Reed was on hand to head home from about six yards out. Not a bad way to mark your first Pontin’s League outing of the season!

There was no further scoring before the break but it only took the home side five minutes of the second period in which to pull themselves back onto level terms. Picking up a loose ball some 30 yards out Gall sent in a first time shot that fizzed over Jones’ head and into the top corner of the net. Carlisle regained the lead in the 61st minute when Paul Arnison played a long ball into the box that the Dragons defence failed to deal with and Shaun Vipond capitalised to tap the ball home from close range.

Eight minutes from time Gall made it 4-2, chasing onto a long ball over the top from Neale McDermott before composing himself and calmly lifting the ball over Jones from 25 yards. But back came the Dragons and within a minute Andy Fleming set up an exciting last few minutes with a 20-yard effort that clinically beat Chris Howarth. However a breakaway goal from Gall in the dying seconds killed off any lingering hopes the Dragons had of salvaging a point from a close and entertaining contest.