CARLISLE UNITED 0 CREWE 2 Seven-game losing run deflates Carlisle
UNITED boss Keith Curle had promised a muchimproved performance as he put his squad through an intense week of preparations, and for the first 45 minutes they delivered, albeit to no avail as yet another defeat left them feeling flat and deflated.
A bright start did bring hope, but bad habits returned as the clock ticked on and the wheels completely came off almost as soon as the first Crewe goal hit the back of the net.
Seven games without a victory and 686 minutes without a goal tells a sorry tale and is a far cry from the promotion form required if Carlisle United are to get their season back on track.
The Cumbrians pushed forward as they started on the front foot and strong work from Proctor earned him a free kick as he was tugged back having spun away from Turton. Adams swung it into the box and Nugent was relieved to see his glanced attempt at a clearance get tipped over the bar.
Crewe responded with a good move of their own when Cooper fed a neat ball through to Bingham. He slowed the pace of the attack down as he waited for Jones to appear but the midfielder was off balance and ballooned a wild effort over the target.
More danger followed when Bakayago was allowed to creep into space on the right. He sent the ball high and Bowery pulled off his man to get his head to the cross. Gillespie was beaten but there was a sigh of relief as it dropped an inch past the post.
Carlisle had a goal chalked off for offside on 14 minutes when Adams put another beauty of a free kick into the area. Proctor’s celebrations were cut short.
The home side played some eye catching stuff and one touch passing in midfield had Crewe at full stretch for a prolonged period of play. The pressure valve was opened slightly when Joyce went for glory from distance.
It wasn’t all about the home side and Crewe weren’t too far away when Dagnall pulled wide to create space. He gave it to Cooper and he had Gillespie worried as his firmly struck rasper whistled just past the angle of post and bar.
The nervy Carlisle defence was breached by some wonderful approach play before the break when Cooke played a one-two with Bowery to carve his way right through the heart of the blue back line. The return ball left the wide man with just the keeper to beat and he made no mistake.
Noise levels dropped on the previously buoyant terraces but they were given hope that a fight back could be on the cards when Proctor held it up for Grainger to cross. Striker Shaun Miller got his head on it and Garratt had to go full length to palm it away.
A difficult job became a mountain to climb for United six minutes in to the second half when Shaun Miller received a straight red card for a late challenge on Olly Turton. Talisman Nicky Adams followed him down the tunnel moments later when he pulled up with a hamstring injury to rub salt into an already gaping wound.
And as if that wasn’t bad enough Crewe all but sealed the points on 61 minutes when Cooper flew down the right wing. His low cross went past Dagnall but Bowery was there to tap it into the empty net.
Carlisle tried to make things happen, with shots from Joyce and Lambe easy to deal with for Garratt, and the stopper earned more slaps on the back when he beat a powerful Proctor volley away when he saw it last minute.
The Railwaymen started to enjoy themselves as they attacked at will, to take their run to four wins from their last five outings. For Carlisle there is much soul searching to do after losing their place in the play off places with a host of chasing teams hitting the kind of form the Cumbrians can now only dream of.