By Jon Colman

Last updated at 12:18, Monday, 05 October 2009

Walsall 2 Carlisle United 2: Last week’s soundtrack at Carlisle United was the noise of money swirling down the plughole, so this was a handy time for Matty Robson to remind us that certain gaps in a team can be filled without the need to spray even more cash around the place.

Matty Robson scores

With a fizzing goal and another effective left-flank performance, the man picked up in the summer for a transfer fee of £0 was one of the main reasons to smile on Saturday, four days after United revealed how they shed an eye-watering £1.2 million in their last financial year.

Greg Abbott deserves points for having spotted a dynamic winger in the wide-midfielder-cum-left-back Robson had become at Hartlepool, where by his own admission his career was “stagnating”.

Duly liberated by Carlisle’s manager after his June capture on a Bosman transfer, the 24-year-old has shone on a consistent basis in his new colours, and had plenty to do with the competitive draw they forced out of the Banks’s Stadium two days ago.

Downsizing has been the Cumbrian theme ever since the recession bit and the profligacy of the John Ward era came back to roost, but the Blues have unquestionably upgraded with the acquisition of Robson. A more physically robust heir to Lewis Neal, Jeff Smith and Simon Hackney down Carlisle’s left, he immediately appears better suited to the slog of League One battle.

Bolt onto that a few goals like the peach he delivered against Walsall, and it’s easy to conclude that Abbott picked up a decent package for such a modest outlay.

“His goal was actually far more difficult than the earlier chance he didn’t take, but that’s Matty,” said Abbott. “He gives us guts and honesty, and we are delighted to have him.” Carlisle’s boss, it’s fair to assume, was in perkier mood than he would have been had Richard Keogh not steamed in for United’s second equaliser of the game in the final minute here, ensuring that Robson’s 44th minute howitzer did not go to waste.

So now the jury is asked to return its verdict on Carlisle’s run of three consecutive draws. Do we say three games unbeaten, or three without a win (six, in fact, if you include earlier losses to Oldham, Brighton and Portsmouth)? Or do we isolate the fact that Abbott’s team have taken sweat-soaked points from Southampton, Leeds and Walsall, and conclude that things must be looking up?

A little from all three columns is necessary. Barring a couple of refereeing howlers and a dash of misfortune, Carlisle could have taken seven points from their last trio of engagements without fear of argument. That implies a degree of progress. Into the minus column goes the lack of penalty-box devil which obliged them to chase this unappealing game in the Midlands rather than dictate it.

What Abbott might prefer to dwell on is the sight of Carlisle banking a late goal themselves, after taking an injury-time hit of their own against the Saints a week earlier. In truth, we will only know if Keogh’s header in front of United’s 543 travelling fans was a sign of spinning fortunes by the time Macclesfield, Norwich and Yeovil have been tackled in the next fortnight.

Until then, picking the bones out of this windswept tussle requires an appreciation of Carlisle’s strengths, and their weaknesses. The former were on show for decent spells of the first half, once Walsall’s early bluster had been dealt with. The Cumbrians properly emerged after roughly 15 minutes, with Kevan Hurst belting a shot high and wide at the onset of a period of genuine United pressure.

With Joe Anyinsah a growing threat in attack, Abbott’s team advanced. In the 24th minute there was a cross from Danny Livesey which ricocheted into Robson’s path, only for the winger to pass up an instant shooting opportunity in favour of working a better opening.

It ended with a tame shot into Rene Gilmartin’s arms, but quickly Carlisle came again: Robson skipping past Rhys Weston and Alex Nicholls and squaring for Scott Dobie, who inexplicably failed to convert the chance at the far post.

Encouraging football right up to the moment of truth has become a motif for Carlisle’s season, and it was punished when Walsall put away their first authentic chance of the game. Out of the bleak spectacle, where ball-retention was depressingly low and the RAF seemed an appropriate match sponsor for so much aerial fare, came a startling Saddlers counter-attack after Kavanagh’s pass to Hurst had been intercepted.

Forward swept Chris Hutchings’ men, and when Matt Richards played in Darren Byfield in the Carlisle box, Keogh’s unfortunate slip allowed the veteran poacher all the room he required to beat Lenny Pidgeley.

Carlisle responded by drawing Anyinsah further into proceedings - the frontman first appearing to be pulled over in the box by Mark Hughes, and then rolling the ball across to Dobie, whose blast was blocked by the same defender.

United’s response to their setback was duly encouraging, and after Pidgeley had smartly denied Troy Deeney, their equaliser arrived. Tom Taiwo hustled a mistake out of Dwayne Mattis in the Walsall midfield, and after that the floor was cleared for Robson to speed towards the retreating home defenders and then rip the ball across Gilmartin and into the bottom right corner.

Chances continued to be traded at the start of the second half: Richards slicing wastefully wide after Kavanagh’s ill-advised pass; Jamie Vincent sliding in to deny Dobie after Robson had sent Anyinsah away down the left; Taiwo squandering a good position with a poor pass near the home box; and then Keogh and Livesey seeing off raids from Mark Bradley and Byfield respectively.

A hasty whistle from referee Scott Cook, when Anyinsah was scampering through on goal after Clayton McDonald’s foul on Dobie, gave United cause for complaint, particularly when Hutchings’ side then reclaimed the lead soon afterwards. With not much more than 15 minutes remaining, Richards clipped the ball over David Raven down the left, Deeney shook the post with a mighty blast, and when Ian Harte failed to clear the rebound, sub Steve Jones - on the pitch for just four minutes - poked it home.

Abbott’s response was to swap Dobie for Richard Offiong, and then Livesey for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson as an extra body was committed to the salvation effort. It is to United’s credit that they were applying the pressure that eventually coughed up their dramatic second equaliser, after Jones and Byfield had almost profited from the extra gaps with off-target shots at the other end.

Robson, again, had his hand in the leveller, flinging over a challenging centre that Gilmartin had to push over the bar. The resulting corner eventually saw a Bridge-Wilkinson cross deflect back to Kavanagh on the right, and the veteran’s measured delivery received the appropriate treatment by Keogh, whose bullet header was followed by a jubilant celebration at the away end and a yellow card from the humourless Mr Cook.

None of the points Carlisle have snaffled in their last trio of games have been ill-deserved, which merits recognition, but nor can we swerve the conclusion that a greater total could have been deposited with a touch better fortune and finishing.

So we carry on walking the line between justifiable praise and criticism, whilst United’s money men continue treading their own tightrope.

LENNY PIDGELEY - Little chance with either goal, and otherwise displayed a safe pair of hands after beating virus.

DAVID RAVEN - Made some important interceptions as United’s right side came under increasing pressure.

IAN HARTE - Walsall generally had little joy down his flank, but the left-back could have done better to prevent their second goal.

DANNY LIVESEY - Blocks and tackles aplenty from the skipper, who needed to stand up strongly to the hosts’ threat in second half.

RICHARD KEOGH - Unlucky to slip for Walsall’s opener, but responded with a strong defensive effort and popped up with late leveller.

TOM TAIWO - Did not hit the heights of recent games but kept snapping away at Hutchings’ midfielders and made some important tackles.

GRAHAM KAVANAGH - A couple of sloppy passes nearly cost United but the supplied a superb cross for Keogh at the death.

MATTY ROBSON - Fired unstoppable goal and didn’t stop trying to make things happen down the left.

KEVAN HURST - Not the winger’s day. Struggled to inspire United down the right and could have offered Raven better protection.

JOE ANYINSAH - A regular threat to Walsall’s rearguard with his strength and sharpness, but didn’t enjoy any real scoring chances.

SCOTT DOBIE - Worked typically hard and contributed some good link-up play, and somehow failed to claim his third goal in as many games.

Subs: Richard Offiong (for Dobie, 75) - Helped put pressure on hosts; Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (for Livesey, 81) - Tried to create. Not used: Adam Collin, Evan Horwood, Peter Murphy, Gavin Rothery, Michael Burns.

Goals: Robson 44, Keogh 90

Booked: Keogh

Walsall: Gilmartin, Weston, Vincent, Hughes, McDonald, Mattis, Bradley, Nicholls (Jones 70), Richards, Byfield (Parkin 87), Deeney. Not used: Sansara, Smith, O’Keefe, Westlake, Ince.

Goals: Byfield 33, Jones 74

Booked: McDonald

Crowd: 3,572 (543 Carlisle fans)

Ref: Scott Cook (Surrey)

First published at 11:36, Monday, 05 October 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk