Huddersfield Town 0, Carlisle Utd 2

Aug 27 2007 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Examiner

TWO steps forward, one step back. Town’s hopes of equalling their second best start to a league campaign by chalking up a third straight win were crushed as Carlisle recorded their third victory in three games under caretaker manager Greg Abbott.

Town boss Andy Ritchie, who worked with Abbott at the Leeds Academy, had no hesitation in recommending him for the Brunton Park job on a permanent basis in the build-up to this game.

But he certainly wouldn’t have wanted to present him with these three points, which enabled Carlisle to go second in League I and left Town seventh, quite so easily.

Town’s inability to get a grip in midfield, where Bradford old boy Marc Bridge-Wilkinson ran the show, undermined home hopes.

And slipshod defending led to both the visitors’ goals, through Danny Livesey in the 34th minute and Danny Graham in the 44th.

Ritchie’s side made a better fist of it in the second half, but the clearest-cut chance still fell to Carlisle, with Bridge-Wilkinson’s goalbound 48th-minute drive well saved by Carlisle old boy Matt Glennon.

The stopper, seeking a third clean sheet in as many league games, couldn’t be blamed for either of the goals which brought Carlisle a deserved first win in Huddersfield in 11 attempts and only a second in 18 visits in all (the other being in an FA Cup third-round replay in 1972-73).

He showed smart reactions to block Bridge-Wilkinson’s low drive, then tipped the same player’s follow-up effort onto his right-hand post.

As the ball bounced back into the danger zone, Carlisle were quickest to react, and while Nathan Clarke blocked Danny Graham’s shot, and made a brave attempt to foil Livesey, but was unable to prevent his fellow centre-back’s shot from going in.

Graham had already had a 23rd-minute effort, slotted home after he dribbled around Glennon, disallowed for offside.

But there was no chance of a same outcome for the second, because Garner had three Town players, Joe Skarz, Aaron Hardy and Clarke, in front of him, but still managed to head home Bridge-Wilkinson’s corner.

Town’s only effort on target of note in the first half came after 10 minutes, when Malvin Kamara romped upfield to win a corner.

He fired in the flag kick himself, and after Luke Beckett flicked the ball on, Chris Brandon’s shot was held by Kieran Westwood.

Brandon, who fired into the side-netting in the 31st minute, worked hard to spark openings in the second half, but Town couldn’t mount any concerted pressure.

Beckett, chasing his third goal of the season, fired over from Matt Young’s 54th-minute cross and headed narrowly over from Clarke’s deep centre in the 64th, although had it gone in, the goal would have been wiped out for offside.

Meanwhile Kamara shot too high in the 57th and 72nd minutes.

Ritchie brought on strikers Andy Booth (for Young on 70 minutes) and Lucas Akins (for Hardy on 83), but the closest Town came to pulling one back was in time added on, when Booth’s header from another decent Clarke cross was off target.

Having suffered their first home loss under Ritchie’s command, Town now face three away trips, to Millwall on Saturday, Grimsby in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tomorrow week and Crewe five days after that, and an improvement is required.

How they rated:

Matt Glennon

Pulled off some decent saves and couldn’t do much about either of the goals by his former club.

7/10.

Andy Holdsworth

Playing at right-back for a second successive match after his switch to midfield. Passing a letdown.

5/10.

Joe Skarz

A lot of traffic came his way as Carlisle tried to exploit his inexperience. Will have been disappointed at second goal.

5/10.

Michael Collins

Stepped things up in the second half, but couldn’t exert his normal influence in the midfield contest.

6/10.

Nathan Clarke

Made a sterling effort to block the first goal, but one of three unable to pick up Garner for the second.

6/10.

Aaron Hardy

Was Town’s top man at Bournemouth, but struggled to follow up that display in the centre of defence.

5/10

Malvin Kamara

The workrate is there from the stand-in striker, but badly needs the confidence boost of a goal.

6/10.

Jon Worthingtnon

Still struggling to find the form of which he is capable. Town need their captain firing on all cylinders.

5/10.

Luke Beckett

Poor delivery into the penalty box meant the striker got only half-chances on an afternoon of frustration.

6/10.

Matt Young

Can never be faulted for effort, and did his best to get things going, but unable to make any real inroads.

6/10.

Chris Brandon

Chased and harried as he tried his best to spark a comeback but like the team, not his day..

7/10.

Town substitutions

Andy Booth for Young, 70mins; Lucas Akins for Hardy, 83mins. Not used: T Clarke, Berrett, Eastwood.

Carlisle Utd: Westwood, Arnison, Raven, Livesey, Aranalde, Gall, Bridge-Wilkinson, Thirlwell, Smith, Garner (Carlton, 88mins), Graham (Lumsdon, 68mins).

Subs not used: Howarth, Hackney, Brittain.