Blues earn fine draw against Preston
Last updated 19:06, Monday, 28 July 2008
Carlisle United 2 Preston North End 2: Inspecting pre-season friendlies for significance requires a pair of stronger lenses than normal, but John Ward was on the money with his assessment of this pleasing midsummer engagement under the Cumbrian sun.
Then the hosts struck. As Carlisle began to find their attacking range, Peter Murphy emerged on the left wing and pinged a fine, deep cross into the box. Dobie - arrowing inside from his right-wing berth - beat Matt Hill to the ball, and his header sailed past Andy Lonergan.
“There has been a lot of uncertainty over the summer,” said the Blues manager. “But today said to people that Carlisle United are alive, well and trying to improve.”
That Brunton Park has been the scene for rapid, almost dizzying change this summer is already on the record. Whether such dramatic alterations can be chronicled as progress will not be decided for some time yet.
But Ward was right to hammer away at a generally optimistic note in his post-match briefing. United's first home friendly was a decent time to make the point that a takeover and a spasm of dramatic transfer activity has not, contrary to some fears, slipped dynamite into the foundations down Warwick Road.
The full consequences – positive or otherwise –- of recent developments will reveal themselves in due course. But there was no denying on Saturday that it just felt good to be back. Felt good to see some brisk, snappy football from United in their first home match since last season's play-offs; felt good to witness some pedigree touches from Michael Bridges 48 hours after he breezed back into town, just as Joe Garner regrettably departed; felt good to view a pristine and (hopefully) more durable new pitch on which the Blues can unveil their best work; and felt particularly good to watch Scott Dobie tack two more goals onto the most encouraging pre-season sub-plot so far.
With five goals already this summer, the refreshed Cumbrian exposes himself to fears that he might be peaking a touch too early. But that sort of cynical thinking would not be entertained on this humid July afternoon, nor will it linger in the tactical plans of Ward, whose flexible 4-5-1 system offered up plenty of sharp movement and chances against Alan Irvine’s durable Championship opponents.
Bridges, lingering behind Graham (the orthodox number 9 in this new system), was given several hearty ovations by the home supporters and served promising notice in a mere hour that his shrewd football brain will be fused onto Dobie’s zip and penetration, and Graham’s strong running and penalty-box threat, in a dangerous three-man strike force in League One this coming campaign. Gary Madine and Danny Carlton, both with decent late contributions, also revealed their willingness to offer plausible back-up at the very least.
Dobie’s first goal, which gave United an 18th-minute lead, arrived at the end of an opening spell which yielded a Neil Mellor goal for Preston chalked out for offside after a superb Ben Williams save, a Darren Carter drive which cannoned off the bar, and a sweeping Cumbrian move involving Bridges, Graham and Dobie which ended with a fine defensive header from Youl Mawene under six-yard box pressure from Bridges.
Further intrigue on the flanks came in the shape of Joe Anyinsah, back in Preston colours after a popular loan spell at Carlisle last season; and with Tyrone Cameron, the teenage prospect earmarked by Ward as a Blues right-back of the future following his release from Fulham.
The former threatened sporadically; the latter, on trial, performed with the energy of youth but was exposed when Chris Sedgwick outmuscled him on the edge of the area and crossed for Mellor, who buried the equalising header amid a period of Preston pressure.
Half-time, and the appearance on the pitch of one of the great football men, Sir Tom Finney, put a bullet through any lingering fatigue in the 2,833 crowd. Then the Preston Plumber’s club leapt into life after the restart, taking the lead when Billy Jones profited from a linesman’s generous onside call to tee up Simon Whaley, who lashed the chance past Williams with venom and technique.
By the 54th minute, however, United had made their response. First, the deep-lying Bridges earned a corner. Then Grant Smith’s delivery was nodded back across the area by Murphy. And when Carter’s meek clearance fell to Dobie, he cracked it back through the cluster in the six-yard box, past Lonergan, and allowed Carlisle to take a merited draw from a competitive clash.
If anything, the Blues completed affairs the stronger, amid a flurry of substitutions and after a brief scare when a Williams clearance offered Preston another chance which Mellor failed to take.
Late highlights included an ambitious 30-yarder from Evan Horwood which whistled over, and a booming left-footed volley from Carlton which Lonergan beat away. At the other end, Josh Gowling rose from the bench to make some simple, firm defensive contributions on his home debut alongside the impeccable Murphy.
Also pleasing to report today are Paul Thirlwell’s sturdy display in midfield alongside Smith, Simon Hackney’s pace and ideas down the left, and Williams’ generally authoritative performance in goal. Meanwhile, Preston’s occasional attacking surges reminded Carlisle of some firm truths about the demands of Championship football which, God willing, will be delivered in these parts on a regular basis in years to come.
Of course, the tail-end of July is no time to be craning the neck so much. After a summer of flux, it’s far better to concentrate on the present and immediate future. The modest conclusion from Saturday’s entertainment is that Carlisle United have passed their first health check of a long and demanding campaign.
MATCH FACTS
Carlisle: Williams, Horwood, Livesey (Gowling 61), Murphy, Cameron (Raven 46), Thirlwell (capt) (Joyce 61), G Smith (Carlton 78), Hackney (J Smith 71), Bridges (Bridge-Wilkinson 61), Graham (Madine 71), Dobie (Taylor 64). Subs not used: Howarth, Campion.
Goals: Dobie 18, 54
Preston: Lonergan, Jones, Hill, St Ledger (Davidson 73), Mawene, Carter (L Neal 73), Anyinsah, Jarrett (Nicholson 73), Mellor (Ormerod 73), Whaley, Sedgwick (McKenna 73). Subs not used: C Neal.
Goals: Mellor 41, Whaley 47.
Ref: E Ilderton
Att: 2,833.
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