Jon Colman reports from The County Ground

Last updated at 14:26, Monday, 08 December 2008

Swindon Town 1 Carlisle Utd 1: Paul Thirlwell as goalscoring midfielder is a concept that will take some time to get used to, so let’s be thankful for the reassuring sight of Peter Murphy in a blue shirt again while the brain readjusts.

Tim Krul

Yes, that’s reassuring despite the own-goal which had Carlisle United hurtling towards defeat in Greg Abbott’s first game in permanent charge, until Thirlwell scratched a four-year itch with his 88th-minute equaliser.

Whisked off for a random drugs test moments after his act of glory - or maybe not so random, if the testers were as startled as the rest of us by the identity of United’s saviour - Thirlwell was denied the opportunity to make good on his bragging rights until the team bus was swerving out of the County Ground.

It can be safely assumed that the captain addressed that matter on the long journey home, however, so we’ll spare his team-mates another lyrical account of Carlisle’s equaliser and instead focus on something more significant and reliable than Thirlwell’s prowess around the rival penalty area.

Beyond question, Abbott will be leaning on Murphy’s resolute defending slightly more than his skipper’s goals tally between now and next May, so the Dubliner’s capable return to the colours after a three-month absence was out on its own as United’s biggest dividend from this skirmish in the bottom half of League One.

It’s safe to forecast that few accounts of Murphy contributing to his own side’s downfall with an act of clumsiness will be showing up in print in the coming months, so the requirement today is to look past the 28-year-old’s second-half blunder and appreciate why his comeback was the best welcome gift Abbott could possibly receive as he finally put a red line through the word “caretaker”.

Four days as United manager and already Abbott is gazing at a giant conundrum: how to squeeze Murphy, Richard Keogh and Danny Livesey into two centre-half places, once the latter reappears on the training ground after the nose operation which kept him away from combat here. “That’s the right kind of selection problem,” insisted Abbott.

The new leader added: “I’m not interested in Murph’s own goal. The character of the man showed through today. The fact he completed 90 minutes enabled me to make three attacking substitutions. He winked at me and said he was ok to keep going, so fair play to him. He’s a good man, a very honest player, and we’ve seen a terrific performance from him here.”

No arguments with that, and no quibbles with the other burning topic in Abbott’s post-match assessment - that Carlisle will only win games like this when they attach an edge to all their possession, when we are going home talking about the craft they bring to their attacking work.

It was impossible to do that on Saturday night, and United’s creativity shortfall around the Swindon box won’t have done anything to hush the rising public clamour for Michael Bridges to be promoted to the starting line-up. The former Premiership man was summoned from the bench on the hour here - four minutes after the travelling supporters had called for his introduction in song - and Carlisle’s extra invention from that point onwards wasn’t an optical illusion.

“He’s knocking on the door a bit more now,” admitted Abbott, who might have to open it this week if United are to threaten Leicester’s pride at Brunton Park in their next fixture, which rolls up on the back of Saturday’s rescue job - and a point Carlisle deserved, after a dreary first half and a more urgent and slightly fractious second.

It was Murphy who tasted the game’s opening chance, snatching hurriedly at a back-post shot after Graham Kavanagh’s free-kick had crept through an unconvincing home rearguard. The first half ended with the Dubliner glancing another set-piece towards goal, only for Jerel Ifil to block Keogh’s follow-up effort on the goal-line.

In between, Swindon had gradually found their counter-punching stride, with Anthony McNamee their fleet-footed weapon down the left. After Lee Peacock had ricocheted a Keogh clearance dangerously close to Tim Krul’s goal, McNamee leapt into life and provided a point-blank chance for Simon Cox which Krul bravely repelled, before the winger sprinted into the box and drew another excellent save from the on-loan Blues ‘keeper.

A weak Cleveland Taylor header at the start of the second half did little to persuade onlookers that Carlisle were about to tip the Robins, and their caretaker boss David “Budgie” Byrne, from their perch. That feeling faded further when McNamee then skipped away from David Raven and bent over an excellent cross, which Murphy diverted into his own net off the crossbar as Billy Payter lurked at the back stick.

Murphy’s efforts in containing the prolific Cox for most of the afternoon meant he hardly deserved to be cast as its villain. In the 59th minute, he tried to inspire quick retribution, but Danny Graham couldn’t profit from an excellent scooped pass.

Bridges and Chris Birchall then appeared to join United’s unconvincing pursuit of a point, which opened more gaps further back for Swindon to try to exploit. Peacock headed a Callum Kennedy cross against the top of Krul’s bar, Paynter missed the target after Jon-Paul McGovern’s centre, Michael Liddle denied Cox on the right of the Carlisle area, and then Swindon’s 16-goal striker bashed the bar with a bicycle kick.

At the other end, Bridges narrowly failed to supply Graham in the box, missed out with a 20-yard volley and almost sent Liddle on a profitable raid down the left. United’s best second-half effort remained an off-target Kavanagh set-piece until the industrious Birchall earned the free-kick from which Abbott’s afternoon was salvaged.

Jeff Smith’s delivery from the right flank drew an inadequate punch from his Swindon namesake Phil, and Thirlwell’s clean scoring strike through a cluster of players from the edge of the area prompted double-takes everywhere in the portion of travelling fans inside the County Ground.

“It was mis-hit and it caught the ‘keeper out because it had so little power on it,” observed a smiling Abbott, who can be forgiven for failing to make a more plausible attempt at describing a Paul Thirlwell goal. The archives aren’t exactly heaving with previous accounts of the midfielder lasering the ball towards the target as emphatically as he did here.

Just in case it takes another four years for it to happen again, Abbott had better get to work on making the rest of his team look more cutting in enemy territory, a task which surely requires Bridges to be handed something more lasting than a walk-on part - and one which can be carried out with the certainty that the foundations look just a shade more solid with Murphy back in the building.

TIM KRUL - Made a couple of important saves in the first half and generally looked confident on his return to action.

DAVID RAVEN - Mixed afternoon against the elusive McNamee, and was lucky to avoid punishment for one scything challenge on the winger in the second half.

MICHAEL LIDDLE - Some good defensive contributions and tried to help the attacking effort as often as he could.

PETER MURPHY - The own-goal aside, it was a confident return from the long-serving centre-half who kept Cox quiet for most of the afternoon.

RICHARD KEOGH - Troubled at times by the awkward Paynter but stuck to his task and defended capably.

PAUL THIRLWELL - Another battling midfield effort capped by his unlikely heroics two minutes from time.

GRAHAM KAVANAGH - United didn’t always dominate the middle ground but their veteran loanee showed some quality touches.

MARC BRIDGE-WILKINSON - Industrious effort but had limited attacking impact and was sacrificed on the hour.

JEFF SMITH - Dangerous free-kick led to Thirlwell’s equaliser at the end of an unremarkable afternoon.

CLEVELAND TAYLOR - Started brightly but quiet after the break and eventually replaced by Birchall.

DANNY GRAHAM - Not his finest hour, was starved of service for most of the afternoon and ought to benefit from extra Bridges involvement.

Subs: Chris Birchall (for Taylor, 60) - Persistent effort, mixed end product but will benefit from the run-out. 6; Michael Bridges (for Bridge-Wilkinson, 60) - United looked more creative after his arrival. 7; Gary Madine (for Graham, 78) - Put himself about in the closing stages. 6. Not used: Chris Howarth, Jonny Blake.

First published at 11:27, Monday, 08 December 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk