Kee helps Reds
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO CARLISLE ....................... 1 ACCRINGTON ................ 1 SHELDAN KEAY
ACCRINGTON Stanley ended their run of two straight defeats after earning a hard-fought point at Carlisle United on Saturday.
Billy Kee had given the Reds the lead on 58 minutes, before Nicky Adams levelled things up to ensure that both sides would earn a point at Brunton Park.
While his side may have thrown away their lead, Accrington manager John Coleman was still pleased with his players.
“They are a good side and will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season and we hope to be too,” he told the club’s official website.
“It’s no secret that Carlisle play a lot of balls and throw-ins into the box. I’m not knocking them for that because it’s effective, and sometimes I wish we had the ability to do that.
“It meant that we had a lot of things to defend though and I thought we did that very well, so hats off to our defenders.”
Carlisle were the better team in the opening stages and they went close when Michael Raynes had a headed deflected wide.
Despite being a defender, Raynes threatened again moments later when he fired wide after getting on the end of a pass from Tom Miller.
The Reds were being put under constant pressure, and they almost went behind when Danny Grainger’s shot from the edge of the box smashed against the crossbar.
Coleman’s side began to come into the game as the half progressed, with Seamus Conneely and Matty Pearson both going close.
Accrington goalkeeper Aaron Chapman was then required at the other end, making a fine stop to keep out Raynes once again.
Despite a large number of chances, Carlisle couldn’t make the breakthrough in the first half and the teams went into the interval with the scores goalless.
Stanley were like a different team at the start of the second half, as they began causing lots of problems for the opposition defence.
Kee had his side’s first shot on target on 50 minutes, before going one better moments later by scoring to put his team in front.
Rommy Boco’s cross into the box was turned home by the striker from close range to grab his third goal of the campaign.
Kee was at the heart of Accrington’s attacks and he almost doubled his team’s lead when he got on the end of Pearson’s cross, but he couldn’t direct it goalwards.
Carlisle had been dangerous throughout the first half and they eventually broke through the Stanley defence when they got an equaliser on 65 minutes.
Adams cut in from the left hand side before firing past Chapman and into the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-1.
Both teams pushed as they tried to find a winner, with McConville going close when his free kick went inches wide.
Carlisle thought they had then won it in the closing stages when Reggie Lambe was through on goal, but a fantastic double save from Chapman denied him to earn his side a point.