Last updated at 11:17, Saturday, 28 July 2012

Carlisle United 1 St Mirren 0: The internal voice always nags at you to avoid leaping to judgement on the basis of brisk but meaningless pre-season contests like this. So we must not burden Alessio Bugno, or ourselves, with too much expectation.

Lee Miller

But still. Carlisle’s Italian trialist can only deal with the opportunity he is handed. Against St Mirren, the first major test for the left-back, he coped well enough to earn the justifiable appreciation of the small crowd who swerved the Olympics opening ceremony build-up to take a look at Greg Abbott’s 2012/13 contenders here.

There are times in a trialist’s summer toiling when an emphatic step is made. Two summers ago we knew Abbott had found something worth keeping when Francois Zoko capped a strong series of friendlies with an elusive, strong display against Hibernian.

Also against Scottish opposition, the latest continental trier might have jumped forward in Abbott’s thoughts, along with one nurtured on the premises: the richly-promising Brad Potts, who shone at right-back.

Both the versatile 18-year-old Potts and Bugno – the son of 1991 Tour de France runner-up Gianni – moved quickly and smartly across Brunton Park’s snooker-table turf in the first home friendly, and showed enough wit in possession and sufficient snappiness in defence to give their prospects a decent boost.

In games like this, familiarity abounds. Carlisle will operate next season in much the same way as last, with Lee Miller (the 63rd-minute goalscorer) their attacking pivot, around which everyone else will operate. So the eye looks around for differences and small improvements.

Chris Chantler, again busy and bright in central midfield, may be one. Potts, adept in midfield and defence, looks another. Bugno, who earned his first ripple of the night by adeptly shutting down Gary Teale in the eighth minute, could be a bonus find.

Other highlights of the former Monza man’s first sampling of United’s home ground included an athletic sprint to pip Teale to a ball deep in home territory, a high-stepping gallop down the touchline which beat two St Mirren players, a deft change of direction to fox Lewis Guy, the visitors’ Cumbrian forward, and then a run and cross which James Berrett deflected towards goal.

Through most stages the 22-year-old’s popularity seemed to rise, and Abbott’s next move will be awaited a touch more keenly by those who liked what they saw last night, on a pitch which bore five highly topical Olympic rings cut into the grass around the centre-circle. Credit groundsman David Mitchell for this act of creative genius, but don’t tell the London 2012 trading standards clipboard-carriers).

Inside and around the rings the entertainment, and education, came along in little bursts but it mainly suggested United – and presumably their opponents – were saving their most spectacular work for the season proper. A happier conclusion was that they are now five games into their preparatory work and have not yet conceded.

Liam Noble, who engaged in occasional tiffs with the Saints’ Paul McGowan, was as keen for the ball as usual, and United appeared as competitive as you would hope. But genuine inspiration may take a few more weeks to be restored. In the 10th minute, Matty Robson (again, playing in an advanced role) linked nicely with Miller to win a corner. A succession of ambitious shots from Chantler, Berrett and Noble then followed, each one colliding with a Buddies body.

Back at base, Mike Edwards was slotting in steadily alongside Danny Livesey, as St Mirren, with their sensory-overload change strip of pink-and-blue horizontal stripes, emerged through Dougie Imrie and Teale, both of whom failed with shots inside the box.

Teale, we were then informed by the decently vocal contingent from Paisley, “will tear you apart”, before the winger was gazumped at a free-kick by Imrie, who thudded it into the wall. Carlisle’s response saw Potts run confidently forward to accept a Noble pass, before Andy Welsh – on the right of the forward three – crossed for Miller to head wide.

United’s endeavours were sometimes bright in these areas until the last bit, where devil was often absent. After the break they survived a couple of scares in their own box before Noble tested Craig Samson with a skimmer and then some tidy passing play refused to fall for Miller. Back downfield, Penrith-born Guy wasn’t tall enough to beat half-time sub Mark Gillespie with a header.

Bugno was then substituted to the night’s biggest ovation so far, as fellow trialist Jon Meades jogged on. Then the noise increased when United showed their best moment of enterprise: a quick free-kick from Noble, a deep, swinging ball from Berrett, a well-timed cross from Robson and a high, scoring finish from Miller, close-in.

After a couple of weeks of watching Mark Beck boost his figures against non-league opponents, United’s line-leader will have enjoyed this opportunity to get used to the sight of ball hitting net again.

This boosted Carlisle’s confidence levels further, as Robson spun quickly away from attention to drive a Meades pass into the box. Welsh, on the other side, was then denied an ambitious penalty shout after Potts had dealt with danger in United’s bottom right corner.

The Blues then changed tack with a bunch of substitutions, as a St Mirren replacement, Steven Thompson, went close with a header. Gillespie then stood up well to a Teale drive from the right before Dave Symington showed promise and pace down the right and then Potts fed Berrett for a late shot which Samson held.

With Beck and Symington not appearing out of place among the seniors during their sub roles, this was a night when Abbott allowed the kids to run riot.

Even Gillespie, a year older than the first-year pros, grabbed some of the attention when he saved well from Thomas Reilly in the last minute.

All along low-key spectacles like this you keep advising yourself not to let the eye deceive, and reminding yourself that it won’t be this free and easy against Stevenage, away, when the real stuff begins. You also note the concerns, such as injury niggles for Danny Cadamarteri, Rory Loy, Frank Simek and Paddy Madden.

But you still can’t help enjoying the fun when it’s offered. Tearing oneself away from the TV felt harder than usual last night but it says much for Bugno, Potts and others that it didn’t feel that way on the journey home.

Carlisle United: Collin (Gillespie 46), Potts, Bugno (Meades 61), Livesey, Edwards (Murphy 61), Berrett, Chantler (Thirlwell 70), Noble, Robson (Hopson 70), Welsh (Symington 70), Miller (Beck 70).

Goal: Miller 63

St Mirren: Samson, Van Zanten (Goodwin 75), McGregor, Mair, Imrie (Kelly 84), Robertson, McGowan (McGinn 77), Guy (Reilly 72), Parkin (Thompson 72), Teale, Barrow (McAusland 75). Not used: Mo, Adam, Holt, Smith.

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First published at 10:52, Saturday, 28 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk