Match report: Carlisle United 3 - 0 Huddersfield Town

Dec 27 2008 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TOWN’S hopes of a seventh win in eight League I games were comprehensively crushed as Carlisle belied their lowly position to chalk up their first victory in five.

Smithies was equal to Smith’s long-range piledriver in the 18th minute, but it took a well-timed Clarke challenge to thwart Bridges after he robbed Williams in the 25th.

Soon after Livesey glanced a header from fellow centre-back Peter Murphy’s cross wide, then Bridges blasted a dangerous-looking 28th-minute free-kick well off target.

Graham’s 33rd-minute shot was deflected wide for a corner delivered by Smith which Smithies took cleanly, while Ian Craney briefly raised the pulses of the 1,000-plus Town fans in a 7,883 crowd when he broke forward in the 38th minute, only for his shot to hit a home defender.

Town fashioned the first chance of the second half, Roberts heading over from Clarke’s cross, but again it was still Carlisle who looked the more dangerous, and Andy Butler bravely blocked a strike by Bridges before he drilled home his side’s second, making the most of a piece of good fortune when the ball fell neatly into his path after Graham got it caught under his studs.

Clark made a double substitution (Danny Cadamarteri and Phil Jevons for Craney and Williams) and changed his set-up, and it could have paid quick dividends when Parker picked out Roberts with a 59th-minute cross, but the former Ipswich man was unable to get his header on target.

Collins had his attempt, then Jevons curled a shot wide from the edge of the area before on-loan Sunderland man Kavanagh settled it with a low drive after Graham headed a flighted free-kick into his path.

Click here for photos from the game and shots of the Boxing Day crowd.

Jevons (82nd minute) and Roberts (stoppage time) both brought saves from Tim Krul, on loan to Carlisle from Newcastle, but it was too little too late on a Boxing Day of disappointment.