Carlisle Utd 2 Yeovil Town 1: It was barely a quarter-chance, let alone a half-chance. It was certainly not something you would ever describe as a chance. Yet perhaps what it needed was exactly what it got: a player with absolutely nothing to lose, swinging his foot cleanly through it.

A centre-half, in other words, rather than a midfielder or forward with a reputation to protect, Shaun Brisley would not have lost a scrap of his standing had the ball sailed off towards Stony Holme golf course, or halfway into the Main Stand.

Instead, it turned into a glorious gamble. Brisley’s attempt, from 35 yards, soared and dipped over Artur Krysiak, smacking the back of the net. Brunton Park rubbed its collective eyes.

“My first thought was, what the **** are you doing?” said Keith Curle, recalling how he felt when Brisley stepped forward to meet the 10th-minute clearance. “Then it was, what have you just done?”

Disbelief also spread around United’s ground as another important victory was spectacularly launched. Michael Raynes, Brisley’s defensive partner, entered his own realm of astonishment, placing his hands on his head and laughing.

The scorer himself wheeled off in celebration, and a few minutes later was being beckoned to “shoot” by the crowd when 20 yards inside his own half. It would be fair to assume that a couple of pints were raised in Brisley’s honour when the players hit Dublin for their Christmas party on Saturday night.

The drinks will also have gone down smoothly because Carlisle put another three points on their growing total. They started this demanding game superbly, and reached the halfway mark in total command, but then endured a challenging second half as Yeovil battled back.

The outcome, naturally, is what matters, and the fact it kept the Blues second, seven points clear of the play-off places, entitles those involved to feel festive right now.

They are guaranteed to be in League Two’s top three at the turn of the year as a minimum and, put simply, a side does not reach 21 games having lost once without being strong favourites to complete the job.

Again, this was not a faultless victory, and Yeovil exposed a few weak spots at times. Yet United have a habit of making sure enough of their strengths also appear. After Brisley’s stunner, Charlie Wyke dispatched a clinical header and a bit of muck-and-nettles defending when the visitors pinned them back made sure of the result.

It also made for a good enough answer to the first question of how they would cope without a couple of influential figures. However long Mike Jones and Danny Grainger will be out for is a question Curle remains reluctant to answer. While United’s squad is now stretched, it was encouraging that others stepped in here (Macaulay Gillesphey and Reggie Lambe) without it affecting their form.

Overall, there was vigour about their first-half efforts that was rewarded twice. Yeovil made a bright start, Ryan Hedges and Tahvon Campbell testing Carlisle in the opening minutes, but United also found their front foot and looked to get the ball forward quickly with Shaun Miller working the channels well.

Then came Brisley’s barnstorming opener, after which there was almost an equally attractive second. Alas, Miller’s deftly floated chip came back off the bar, and Nicky Adams put the follow-up too high.

The invention was very easy on the eye and also resulted from Wyke showing some good aerial strength against visiting defender Nathan Smith. Yeovil, meanwhile, showed some good movement around Carlisle’s box, but Francois Zoko was only moderately involved against his old club, and their final ball was often gobbled up by Raynes and Brisley.


Related: Super strike could set Carlisle Utd defender Shaun Brisley off on goalscoring run - Curle


While chances did not exactly flow, United’s pressing was at times effective, with Tom Miller sharp on the overlap down the right. Namesake Shaun nearly poached a chance from a Smith mistake, and another from a Krysiak clearance, and then Carlisle went two up: Krysiak flapping a free-kick behind, Adams curling over a corner, and Wyke rising to bullet home his 14th of the season.

This put Carlisle in charge and, by all accounts, led Darren Way to raise the volume in the away dressing room at half-time. And there is no denying that the interval proved more useful to Yeovil than United, for the second half was started at high tempo by the Somerset side as the Blues struggled to regain their rhythm.

In no time Way’s men had snaffled a goal back, Smith peeling away from Gillesphey and heading a corner in off the crossbar. Immediately you know the test was going to be more complicated from here, and there were times afterwards when Carlisle’s lead looked very thin indeed: Campbell going close with a deflected chance, several more corners testing the home defence, and Kevin Dawson very nearly jinking through.

When Mark Gillespie had to claw the ball off the line after Zoko had wrestled past Brisley and crossed, Carlisle were clinging on.

They could have done with taking what chances they produced themselves in this period, but Krysiak tackled Shaun Miller outside his box and then the striker underhit a first-time shot after another Wyke win.

Substitutes arrived for both sides as the game entered its critical period. Zoko left to warm applause as Tom Eaves came on. Jabo Ibehre and Jamie Devitt arrived for Carlisle, adding some muscle and invention to United’s efforts for the final 20.

Yet it remained an urgent and at times frantic contest. At one point Way strode a good 20 yards down the touchline to play ball-boy as Carlisle waited to take a throw. Then, when United broke up a few Yeovil attacks and countered, Lambe wasted a shooting chance from outside the box, Ibehre was denied by Krysiak after steaming through, and then the big striker fluffed a header from a great Adams cross.

<iframe width="625" height="425" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HQqgqNC-dzA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Adams, inevitably, was among United’s better lines of defence, carrying the ball trickily down the left, occupying defenders and time. Another near-miss was then suffered by Ibehre and Brisley, as a shot from the former was clawed out by Krysiak and against the lurking latter, the ball trickling back towards goal but cleared by Smith.

Ref Darren Handley received his share of gyp from United’s fans as anxiety remained. Yet eventually it was released as, after a couple of edgy late corners, one of which was glanced against the home crossbar by a Blues player, the final whistle went.

Relieved cheers filled the December night. Only Plymouth’s win at Accrington prevented the Blues from being Christmas number one. Nobody, surely, would have turned down that predicament had it been offered back in August.

Yet good campaigns tend to be built on tight wins like this, and 2017 will no doubt require several more. If they happen to include the mad sight of a big defender cracking one home from crazy distance, then so much the better.

MARK GILLESPIE - Enjoyed a fairly quiet first half with only a couple of regulation saves. Busier after break and challenged by a few crosses, but did enough to help Blues see it through.

TOM MILLER - Looked sharp in most of his work and got forward very well at times early on, even though Campbell was a danger at times on left.

MACAULAY GILLESPHEY - Recalled in Grainger's position, the loanee kept most danger in front of him in first half, less comfortable at times after break.

MICHAEL RAYNES - Captain in Grainger's absence, Raynes was solid and vocal at the back, and added his usual presence to United's set-pieces.

SHAUN BRISLEY - Will seldom score a more eyecatching goal than the opener here. Brisley was assured against Zoko and co in first half, extended more after break, but a memorable day overall.

LUKE JOYCE - A hard-working and combative display as United got on top, Joyce helping disrupt Yeovil and showing good energy to battle right to the end.

JASON KENNEDY - A busy showing in central midfield as Carlisle coped well with Jones' absence in the game's key spells. Kennedy certainly left nothing in the tank.

NICKY ADAMS - Yet another assist as his corner was met by Wyke. Adams was on the front foot as ever and saw plenty of the ball to test visitors.

REGGIE LAMBE - Jones injury saw the Bermudan recalled, and Lambe made a couple of lively runs, less dynamic after the break.

SHAUN MILLER - Crossbar denied him in first half, when he also showed some shrewd movement and link-up play that engaged the Yeovil defence.

CHARLIE WYKE - A combative first half display, including some strong aerial work, was capped with clinical finish number 14 which proved United's winner.

Subs: Jamie Devitt (for Wyke 72) - Several clever contributions; Jabo Ibehre (for S Miller 72) - Couple of great chances for fit-again striker. Not used: Max Crocombe, Mark Ellis, Derek Asamoah, Kevin Wright, Alex McQueen.

Goals: Brisley 10, Wyke 36

Booked: Kennedy, Adams

Yeovil: Krysiak, Shephard, Smith, Lacey, Dickson, Lawless, Butcher (Whitfield 85), Hedges, Dawson, Campbell (Khan 63), Zoko (Eaves 71). Subs: Maddison, Mugabi, Eaves, Ezewele, Copp.

Goal: Smith 48

Referee: Darren Handley

Crowd 4,636 (96 Yeovil fans)