By Jon Coleman

Last updated at 12:25, Wednesday, 25 March 2009

Carlisle Utd 1 Hereford 2: Never has Carlisle United’s ground seemed so aptly named. Greg Abbott and his boardroom bosses now know the full meaning of Brunt-on Park.

Scott Dobie heads the ball

Carlisle’s manager and the club’s besieged directors bore the brunt of booing, catcalling and poisoned chanting last night after the latest Cumbrian belly-flop to defeat. Hereford’s 2-1 victory was accompanied by the sound of something snapping on the terraces.

Patience, faith, confidence in the regime: all those things, in fact, seemed to crack in the slashing rain. So did the ground beneath United, who are now in the desperate position of requiring other teams to lose games in order to preserve their status above League One’s bottom four.

Tension Tuesday, to repeat the phrase on yesterday’s back page, became Terrible Tuesday as soon as Steve Guinan and Ben Smith had slotted the division’s second-worst team into an unassailable two-goal lead and then Carlisle failed miserably to add to Michael Bridges’ consolation effort despire chances aplenty.

Worrying Wednesday, Troubling Thursday and Fretful Friday will now follow for the Cumbrian public, until Northampton sprint into town on Saturday for the latest examination of our shredded nerves.

The background noise to Carlisle’s increasingly traumatic survival bid is mounting civic disquiet. “Sack the board” and “Taxi for Abbott” were among last night’s audible eruptions. An attendance of 4,223 was not sufficiently modest for those complaints to go unheard.

The volume will only go down if United can conjure a performance out of nothing on Saturday and then take sufficient points from their remaining six games to render this season an unfortunate mistake that does not leave too much lasting damage.

But as long as Carlisle’s forwards squander the kind of chances that were washed away last night, and as long as their defending remains as uncoordinated as it did against the Bulls (paper tigers, more like, given Hereford’s normal reluctance to find the onion bag), there can be no confidence whatsoever that this season will end with such a collective mopping of brows in relief.

Hereford lumbered into town with zero form (five defeats on the spin), a pitiful away record (two wins, two draws, 14 defeats) and a one-way ticket to the slaughterhouse. Their fortune was to collide with a Carlisle team who have forgotten how to win at home – it’s now seven games since three points were last banked at Brunton Park – and whose morale is being driven into the turf. “We are low at the minute,” acknowledged Abbott. “But we have got to find some encouragement and optimism on Saturday and produce a performance. That will be very difficult.”

Last weekend’s hiding at Southend saw Cumbrians everywhere thudding their heads at the lack of chances being created. That was not last night’s problem. Taking them was. Bridges, Danny Graham, Graham Kavanagh, Scott Dobie: each missed the most basic of opportunities. Three of those men have experience in spades, the other is the club’s leading scorer. Even as the critical words land like hailstones, where else is Abbott expected to look for the goals that will save this tortuous campaign?

Gareth Taylor might have been an alternative, had the manager not surprisingly shovelled the loan striker into his back four to cover the absence of Peter Murphy through injury. Taylor was not the reason Carlisle lost last night, but his selection at centre-half ahead of more conventional options (David Raven, for instance, or the Scotland Under-19 prospect Tom Aldred) spoke of desperation and was eventually exposed.

Carlisle’s early bluster was dismantled by the seventh minute, when Bridges swung an ill-advised pass across field, saw it intercepted by Matty Done, and then watched as the winger tore at United’s exposed back line and served up Guinan – via a Taylor challenge – to slot home.

Such was the frantic nature of this game, Carlisle then conjured six chances before Hereford landed the second blow. Kavanagh’s volley was blocked by Kris Taylor, Gareth Taylor fired narrowly over from a corner, Graham swiped at fresh air when Joe Anyinsah’s effort rolled his way, Lewis Neal tested Peter Gulacsi from 25 yards, and then Bridges was denied by the visiting ‘keeper, on loan from Liverpool.

Truly, United were straining for a goal. Even more so after Guinan pierced Carlisle’s malfunctioning offside trap in the 24th minute and crossed for the sliding Ben Smith to score. Hereford’s second strike provoked some serious jeering, which did not abate when Bridges fired a simple chance into orbit after Neal’s dynamic run five minutes before the interval.

At least the illustrious loan man – always United’s most creative presence – quickly atoned with a peach of a 25-yarder seconds before the break. But there was to be no stirring, second-half revival of the kind that claimed MK Dons two months ago.

After Febian Brandy shot across goal after skinning Taylor, Kavanagh motored onto a perfect Bridges pass at the other end but smacked his free shot against the post. Then Neal’s inswinging corner was fumbled by Gulacsi but heaved off the line by Toumani Diagouraga.

Then, Hereford hustled a couple more chances of their own out of Carlisle’s nervousness: Brandy being denied by Ben Williams after Smith’s defence-splitting pass, Kris Taylor skimming a free-kick into the side-netting, and sub Andy Williams shooting weakly wide from excellent territory.

United's final salvo saw Kavanagh boom a fine volley fractionally over and then Dobie – on for Anyinsah – head Jeff Smith’s cross inexplicably wide.

It was a miss perfectly in keeping with United’s evening, when wastefulness moved up a place or two on the charge sheet heading the Cumbrians’ way. It simply won’t do if Northampton are somehow to be conquered in three days’ time, and if Carlisle are to coax the required points out of their other half-a-dozen engagements (including a trip to Leicester, the champions-elect, and a home skirmish with promotion-chasing Millwall).

No need to devote huge column inches to Abbott’s post-match verdict. “We have done a lot of talking, but words don’t change anything,” admitted the man himself. “We have got to deliver.” When the booing stopped last night, all you could hear was a ticking clock.

BEN WILLIAMS - Hard to criticise for Hereford’s goals when so exposed. Made a couple of saves to keep Carlisle in it.

DAVID RAVEN - Not the biggest culprit last night but was unable to stifle Done’s dangerous raids down the left

MICHAEL LIDDLE - One of several players whose confidence appears low, got caught out on several occasions.

RICHARD KEOGH - Always gets marks for effort but it was a disjointed defensive performance all round.

GARETH TAYLOR - Shouldn’tbe the scapegoat for this defeat,but theexperimentdidn’twork.

PAUL THIRLWELL - Forced off early with calf injury as Abbott’s injury misery deepened

GRAHAM KAVANAGH - Tried everything to get Carlisle going, but missed a good chance which summed up the night

LEWIS NEAL - Good set-pieces and a few dangerousruns, one of Carlisle’s better players

JOE ANYINSAH - A coupleof promising bursts but didn’t have enough impact eitherwide orcentral

MICHAEL BRIDGES - United’s most creative threat, but mistake led to Hereford’s opener and should have scored more than one goal

DANNY GRAHAM - Kicked fresh air whenhis best chance came along,not a memorable night for the striker

Subs: Jeff Smith (for Thirlwell, 27) - Little impact; Cleveland Taylor (for Graham, 69) - A few overhit crosses; Scott Dobie (for Anyinsah, 78) - Should have buried header. Not used: Gavin Rothery, Tony Kane.

First published at 11:35, Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk