We should have known the scene was set for a joyful riot when Gary Madine predicted a calm and respectful occasion.
“There’s not a chance I will celebrate,” said the Sheffield Wednesday striker when asked how he’d feel about scoring at Brunton Park. “I’ve got too much respect for everyone there.”
After such a friendly build-up: the eruption. Carlisle’s home game against the Owls in October 2011 proved to be one of those occasions at the peak of Greg Abbott’s reign when a big opponent was felled and the echo could be heard for miles.
There was extra spice and seasoning with Sheffield Wednesday’s visit because they included Madine, the former United home-grown striker who had left for £300,000 that January, and Ben Marshall, the ex-Blues loan star destined for higher things.
Wednesday were third in the League One table under Gary Megson as they pursued a return to the second tier. Carlisle were in upper mid-table and with a new, canny team forming around the line-leading of Lee Miller with a pair of fellow Scots, Rory Loy and JP McGovern, alongside.
Former Middlesbrough man Miller had introduced some much-needed stature to Carlisle’s attack after joining early in the campaign, while former Rangers man Loy was an emerging talent in his second season in Cumbria. United also had the respective talents of such as James Berrett, Liam Noble, Matty Robson and Lubo Michalik, with Adam Collin the mainstay in goal plus the bright Newcastle loan full-back James Tavernier another young player set for bigger stages.
Robson’s suspension for Wednesday’s visit prompted a reorganisation by Abbott which saw Peter Murphy move to left-back and the towering Michalik recalled after injury. He joined Danny Livesey in attempting to restrain Madine, who had started the 2011/12 season impressively for Wednesday, with 11 goals by mid-October.
From the beginning, the Tuesday night game was never less than urgently compelling. Marshall announced his talent early on, skipping past Murphy only for Berret to tidy up for the Blues.
The teams traded chances – Marshall for Wednesday, Miller and Loy for United – before the visitors struck for what, in the moment, appeared a telling goal. It was not Madine but Marshall of the ex-Blues who got it, whipping an 18-yard shot past Collin after good work from Chris O’Grady and James O’Connor.
United were adrift – and then had to scrap like mad to avoid going under before half-time. Livesey blocked a Chris Lines shot, Collin saved a Lewis Buxton effort, Michalik headed a Jose Semedo attempt off the line and then United’s keeper thwarted O’Grady.
That late defiance proved fuel for a magnificent Blues comeback. Early in the second half, Tavernier surged down the United right and won a corner. Berrett’s delivery came back to him and, from the next, Livesey was denied by Stephen Bywater and Miller slid in to equalise.
This ignited something in Brunton Park - and in Abbott’s team. Six minutes later, Loy took centre stage. The Scot had done everything but score in an encouraging run in the side – and this was the perfect time to put his name in lights. He accepted a Miller pass, stepped inside, exploded a shot into the net and scurried up the pitch before participating in a hand-grenade-themed celebration involving the watching Paddy Madden.
United were ahead and now in boisterous mood. Madine, meanwhile, was entering a grumpy state, booked by ref Paul Tierney for some backchat – and then Carlisle dashed through for a third, Noble finishing firmly after Miller’s flick and Tom Taiwo’s run.
A 6,000 crowd was aflame – and then the night darkened for Wednesday’s returning frontman. Madine attracted more Paddock jeers when penalised for handball, and after a late challenge on Tavernier brought a second yellow, the striker briefly leaned his head towards the ref before stalking off the pitch.
As Madine traded insults with Blues fans, Megson perhaps cursed himself for having not substituted his main striker when things were veering close to the edge. In the event, Wednesday had ten men for the closing stages, yet sub Ryan Lowe was a threat from the bench, and the tall defender Rob Jones ensured one of those familiar, tense finales when he headed home a Marshall cross in the 88th minute.
Brunton Park perched on the very edge of its seat, and covered its eyes in the 94th minute when Lowe broke through. His shot missed the target by millimetres, United exhaled – and banked a quite thrilling 3-2 win.
“It was fantastic – really, really decent,” said Abbott. “We can’t play much better than that. If people don’t come after that, they’re not coming at all, simple as that.”
Madine’s post-match views were restricted to an angry tweet aimed at United’s baying fans and the referee. United then continued a bold campaign which, come the spring, had brought the play-offs into view.
Francois Zoko had taken the attacking mantle from Loy when the latter broke his leg at Preston on Boxing Day, but United’s push ran out of gas when Miller was injured during the run-in.
They limped over the line in eighth, still their best finish for four years and their highest under Abbott. As for Wednesday, they and Madine recovered from their Brunton mishap and went up in second place, a last-gasp win over the Blues at Hillsborough part of their own promotion march later in the campaign.
Madine, a couple of years later, returned on loan to help Graham Kavanagh’s listing Carlisle side. Now 32, his goalscoring career has taken him to various clubs and his current home of Blackpool, where controversy is still an occasional bedfellow: last month he was banned for three games for violent conduct, the striker returning to availability last weekend.
United: Collin, Tavernier, Murphy, Livesey, Michalik, Taiwo, Berrett, Noble, McGovern, Loy, Miller. Not used: Gillespie, Zoko, Curran, Helan, O’Halloran.
Sheff Wed: Bywater, Buxton, Bennett, Batth, Jones, Semedo, Lines, O’Connor (Johnson), Marshall, Madine, O’Grady (Lowe). Not used: Prutton, Palmer, O’Donnell.
Crowd: 6,058.
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