Last updated at 13:40, Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Carlisle United 1 Hull City 2: A scoreline which would once have represented a damaging defeat in the basement division for Carlisle United disguised a whole bundle of promising things at the onset of their 2009/10 campaign.

Matty Robson

How football speeds along. Recently enough, squabbles between Carlisle and Hull were confined to the old fourth division; these days the Humberside thrusters provide the Blues with Premier League opposition and a pre-season occasion worthy of the billing.

Instinct tugs at the sleeve today and reminds us to distrust many of the things we see in friendlies. But duty still obliges us to report the encouraging performance laid down by Greg Abbott’s men last night, against players who were cutting down teams of Arsenal’s stature a few months back.

The 2-1 reverse, which occurred only after Hull jerked up their standards in the second half at Brunton Park, masks a list of plus points which went down into Abbott’s notebook.

From the top, they are: a cluster of encouraging home debuts, with goalscorer Matty Robson to the fore; another reminder of Ian Harte’s enduring class in defence; some sprightly contributions from fringe prospects such as Michael Burns; a general hunger and bite at the team’s front, middle and rear; and, with pleasing predictability, a stomping performance from Cleveland Taylor, the wantaway winger whose energetic contribution earned him a considerable ovation at close of play.

Just days after dictating the headlines with his heartfelt explanation for filing a transfer request – namely a desire to be closer to his ailing ill grandmother – he nabs more space on the back page with this kind of display. In the first half, Taylor left Hull’s left-back Andy Dawson in a pickle, and a player of Kevin Kilbane’s experience was not spared the winger’s torment after the break.

Whether he now stays or goes, money says it won’t happen quietly.

As their Premier League opponents worked at a generally pedestrian pace in the first half, United – inspired by Taylor – immediately impressed with their hunger and snap. Harte, who set an exemplary early tone with his distribution from left-back, aimed a free-kick sighter down Tony Warner’s throat in the sixth minute, and then – after Scott Dobie got underneath a good Robson cross – Harte stepped forward again to help force United ahead.

It was the Eire international’s shrewd, quickly-taken free kick, after Marc Bridge-Wilkinson had been felled, that allowed Taylor to attack Andy Dawson down United’s right. The winger eventually scampered to the byline and skidded over a low cross which evaded Dobie but was slotted home at the far post by Robson.

It was a goal in keeping with Carlisle’s encouraging dominance. In midfield, the relentless loan youngster Tom Taiwo left an aggressive calling-card on Richard Garcia, while Paul Thirlwell nullified the Tigers’ own bite down the middle.

The meaningful action continued to flow into the Hull half. Gliding across the greased turf, Robson whacked a 30-yarder just wide, screwed a shot just out of Dobie’s reach, and then Harte and Taylor linked again to put a half-chance inches beyond the Cumbrian striker.

Dobie had his platinum chance shortly before the break, when Nicky Featherstone failed to detect the Carlisle number nine and rolled a backpass into his path, but Dobie’s attempt to round Tony Warner was thwarted by the visiting ‘keeper.

There was still, however, time for another United surge: an attack prompted by Peter Murphy which led to Taiwo swapping smart passes with Bridge-Wilkinson and lofting the ball over the target.

That Phil Brown, the Hull manager, was forced to salvage this game as a contest tells you much about Carlisle’s early play. Brown tossed a fresh XI into action at the restart, and the impact was instant: a shrewd ball from the back from Nathan Doyle, and a crisp finish from Daniel Cousin as the Blues rearguard rubbed their eyes.

With the anonymous exception of the disinterested Brazilian, Geovanni, this was now a more urgent, capable Hull team, who soon drew Lenny Pidgeley’s first meaningful save via a Bernard Mendy shot, after the new United ‘keeper had palmed away a corner from the left.

Yet Carlisle’s attacking intent remained. Gary Madine, on for Dobie, impressively tucked away a David Raven cross but was flagged offside. Taylor held off Steven Menyokolo to test Matt Duke (Warner’s replacement), and then Evan Horwood bent a perfect cross onto Madine’s head in front of goal, only for the young striker to head wide.

Until Carlisle’s remaining forwards start pocketing such chances, the clamour for extra attacking bodies won’t fade. But that isn’t to dismiss Madine completely, since he fronted up well to the physical demands set by Hull’s giant centre-halves and probably just needs a dash of fortune to come his way.

Bridge-Wilkinson, hurt in a challenge and replaced by Burns as a precaution, will have benefited from his latest step back into competitive action. Likewise Burns, the former Liverpool and Bolton prospect who slotted comfortably into midfield and displayed a fine passing range.

Hull’s winner sliced through Carlisle’s persistence on 72 minutes, when Craig Fagan led a counter-attack and had a shot well saved by Adam Collin (on for Pidgeley), with Peter Halmosi clinically following in from a sharp angle.

There could have been no reasonable objections from the Premier League players had United snapped back with an equaliser. It so nearly came, with teenage winger Conor Tinnion smashing Joe Anyinsah’s pass into the side-netting, Madine battering the bar with a header from Taylor’s cross, and then Anyinsah smacking a shot into a Hull body after Taylor’s final, dynamic surge.

Again, the reminder pops up: good friendly performances don’t put any points on the table, nor did this attractive engagement offer a substitute for the intensity which Brentford will lug up to Cumbria for the opening League One fixture in 17 days’ time.

But these games can still offer pointers, and the chance to get some progress and momentum in the bank. On last night’s evidence, Carlisle’s account looked in decent order.

First published at 11:30, Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk