Penrith 0 Carlisle United 5: Carlisle United shook off a little more of the summer’s rust with a comfortable pre-season victory that saw a first goal back in a blue shirt for Hallam Hope.

The striker who will carry much of United’s scoring responsibility in 2017/18 will have enjoyed the sight of the ball rocketing into the net from his right boot after 67 minutes at Penrith.

Keith Curle, who used the second July friendly to assess six trialists, will also have been pleased to see his other senior forward, Shaun Miller, grab another goal.

There were further strikes from Jamie Devitt and Luke Joyce, while one of the unnamed trialists – a tall, young centre-forward – pressed his claims with the other.

Carlisle began with four of those hopefuls – a goalkeeper, both full-backs and a tall centre-forward – as Curle’s squad were put through their paces against Jim Nichols’ team.

Their first-half team included Mark Ellis and Gary Liddle at centre-half, with Devitt and Samir Nabi in central midfield. Much of the play went through Devitt, with Reggie Lambe also testing Penrith with his trickery.

But it was on the other side, the left, where the early opener came. The route was familiar, as Nicky Adams, captain in the first half, took on his man and fed a tempting low cross into the box. Miller did the rest with a close-range finish for his second goal in four days.

quality

Although Carlisle’s quality was apparent at stages, there was no early avalanche of goals against the Northern League side, who showed discipline and some aggressive tackling against their League Two visitors.

That restricted United to a handful of chances, none of which they could convert as the next half-hour passed. The trialist striker wasted the best, a volley in front of goal from an Adams free-kick.

Before that, home keeper Cameron Copland had done well to save Miller’s finish after Devitt found him behind the defensive line. The striker was denied again later, while Robbie Hebson’s attempt at the other end was thwarted by Liddle, as United’s trialist keeper was seldom tested other than in his distribution, often working the ball short to the Blues’ centre-halves.

A couple of driving runs through midfield from Nabi did not produce a goal but on 37 minutes Devitt did, curling home a fine free-kick from the edge of the Penrith box. Two minutes later, the trialist striker finally made his mark, reaching the ball first to the left of goal to clip it neatly over Copland.

Curle changed the entire XI at the break, including two further trialists for the second half – a keeper and a striker. The second 45 minutes also saw first-year pros Cameron Salkeld and Jack Egan handed a chance on the right and left of midfield respectively, along with the likes of Danny Grainger, Luke Joyce, Shaun Brisley and new boys Hope, Tom Parkes and Kelvin Etuhu. That meant a night off for senior men, like Jason Kennedy and Jack Bonham, who may expect another run-out at Workington tonight.

Egan, one of four teenagers handed development contracts this season, impressed with an early pass that put Hope behind the Penrith defence. His cross was met by Joyce, whose finish was blocked at close range.

Grainger then whipped a right-footed shot wide of the near post after cutting in from the left, while United were closer to a fourth when Etuhu stole possession at the edge of the box, then beating another opponent before picking out the night’s second striker trialist. His shot was blocked close in, Egan firing the rebound narrowly over.

Hope tested Penrith with his pace off the shoulder, while Etuhu showed consistent strength in midfield to win back possession. Parkes, meanwhile, popped up deep in the home half, beating two before ref Paul Best played advantage when the big defender was fouled.

From there, there was more good work from Egan, and then a ruthless finish from Hope, the former Bury man rifling his shot high past the keeper in the 67th minute.

Curle used the remaining 20 minutes to run his eye over two further prospects: Belchior Papa, the youth team forward, and Jordan Holt, another of the development quartet.

On 76 minutes United then made it five, as a Tom Miller cross looped to the far post and Joyce stretched to meet it. Although the ball did not appear to have crossed the line before it was bundled in by a combination of defender and Hope, Joyce claimed a rare goal.

A sliding block from Grant Davidson denied Hope another, while Copland excelled with a good late save from Grainger. United were comfortable, most of the play in Penrith’s half, Tom Miller and Hope missing chances to increase the margin further.

Penrith: Copland, Lawson, Dickinson, Davidson, Bowman, Main, Hebson, Crozier, Coleman, Gardner, Bousfield. Subs: Paul, Moynan, Hodgson, Murray, Bell, Street, Miller, Simpson, Davidson, Roper

Carlisle United (first half): Trialist, Trialist, Liddle, Ellis, Trialist, Lambe, Devitt, Nabi, Adams, S Miller, Trialist. (Second half): Trialist, T Miller, Grainger, Brisley, Parkes, Salkeld, Joyce, Etuhu, Egan (Holt 73), Hope, Trialist (Papa 68).

Ref: Paul Best

Crowd: 810