WEDNESDAY 29th APRIL 2009

CARLISLE CITY 3-3 WARK

Scott Priest played his first game since returning from suspension, and there were also
recalls to the side for Mike Holliday, Olly Driver and James Yallop. Unfortunately,
the Wark team-sheet was not available so their players can only be identified by
numbers. This is with the exception of centre-forward Marc Nixon, remembered from
his time as a professional at Carlisle United, during the Roddy Collins era.

An early flick from Holliday sent Driver running towards goal but the Wark keeper
managed to gather. Wark had the first on-target attempt from a 25-yard free kick, but
it was an easy save for Bradley. After 8 minutes, Yallop conceded a free-kick on the
Wark right, and 7’s cross was cleared by Simpson, with 11 hitting the target from 25
yards, but Bradley saved.

After 10 minutes, Wark won two corners in quick succession, the first cleared by Hill
and the second by Bell. City created their best early chance after 18 minutes, when
Yallop’s pass found Driver, who tried to lob the keeper from 25 yards out, but put too
much height on the ball. Bell’s cross from the right then found Priest on the other
flank, with Bell challenging for the resulting cross, but the Wark defence cleared.

After 22 minutes, Foster blocked Nixon’s run from the Wark left. Three minutes later,
Driver’s left wing corner was fired wide by Yallop. After 27 minutes, Heath won
another corner, and the kick was taken short on the right flank. Priest tried to move
the ball across to Hill, but the linesman’s flag was raised. On the half-hour Wark’s 4
ran well from midfield and managed to hit a strong shot that seemed to deflect off a
City defender, with the Wark contingent enraged at the award of a goal-kick. Bell
then put the ball behind for a Wark corner, and 3’s delivery from the left caused a few
alarms in the six-yard box before being cleared.

City broke sharply from the corner, and Priest lobbed a great chance over from close
range. Wark’s 3 became the first player to be cautioned after 33 minutes. In the 37th
minute, Driver’s free-kick was brilliantly controlled by Priest, who found Lupton but
the shot was too high. Wark replied with a quick break between Nixon and 10, and
Yallop managed to clear. Lupton’s left-wing run for City won another corner, but
Driver’s cross was caught by the keeper.

In the 42nd minute, Hill conceded a corner to Wark, that was headed clear by Foster.
On the stroke of half-time, Nixon saw his shot blocked inside the City box.

HALF-TIME- City 0-0 Wark

City started the second half on the offensive, and Foster’s ball to Priest won an early
corner. Driver’s left-wing cross was accurate, and a lot of City heads climbed for the
ball, before it was cleared. After 50 minutes, Priest headed Driver’s cross straight to
the keeper.

Wark took the lead after 54 minutes, when Nixon’s right wing cross found 11 on the
far side, and his cross was unluckily diverted into his own goal by Bell (the second
piece of misfortune for a City defender in 24 hours following the under 18s on
Tuesday evening). Soon after the goal, City players stopped sensing a handball
decision, but play continued and Bell had to clear Nixon’s cross for a corner. The flag
kick was headed away by Foster. After 59 minutes, neat play between Lupton and
Driver almost set Priest clear, but the defence intervened.

On the hour, a flare-up between Lupton and the Wark 7 saw both players booked, and
this was followed by Amato replacing Simpson. Wark were mightily close to a second
goal on 65 minutes, when Nixon’s fine shot struck the far post. This was followed by
Wark’s 4 shooting just over. Heath had a goal disallowed for offside, before Yallop
stopped Nixon’s run after 67 minutes. The lively Nixon then tested Bradley from 18
yards out.

City equalised on 71 minutes when Heath’s shot from just outside the area clipped a
Wark defender before rebounding off the post, with the ball bouncing favourably for
Amato, who headed home from five yards. The game turned very quickly, and City
were 2-1 ahead in the 75th minute. Driver’s through ball seemed to pose no danger,
but Priest collected and drove forward at the retreating Wark defence, before
shooting powerfully past the keeper from the edge of the area. This was Priest’s 7th
goal in just 6 starts.

City’s lead lasted barely sixty seconds, before the Wark 10 curled a fine shot into the
top corner from 18 yards. In the 80th minute, Amato’s cross-shot from the left fell
kindly for Lupton, but he could not convert the chance. Chances were coming all the
time now as Holliday’s shot was saved by the Wark keeper. At this stage, Ward
replaced Heath for City.

After 84 minutes, Holliday was possibly lucky not to concede a penalty as he slid into
a tackle. Bell then lobbed just too high for City, and Priest’s corner had to be
scrambled clear by the Wark defence.

In the 89th minute, Amato’s left-wing cross to Lupton saw his shot blocked for a
corner. Driver’s left-wing kick was cleared by the Wark defence. Wark looked to
have won the game in the 90th minute, when 8 calmly slipped his shot under Bradley
after breaking into the box. Holliday was booked immediately after the goal.

However, more drama unfolded as City made it 3-3 virtually from the kick-off. Bell’s
long ball from the half-way line was headed by Hill, but saved by the Wark keeper.
Hill reacted quickly to pick up the rebound and score from eight yards, for his first
City goal.

The drama was still not over as the Wark 8 almost curled a super goal, but the ball
struck the crossbar and bounced to safety.

The final half-hour of this game was marvellous entertainment after a fairly drab first
half, and both sides will be happy with a point.

CITY- Bradley, C. Bell, Yallop, Hill, Foster, Driver, Simpson, Holliday, Heath,
Priest, Lupton. SUBS- Amato, Ward, Gawith, Kelleher.

REFEREE- A. Sproat
BOOKINGS- Lupton, Holliday (City), 3 & 7 (Wark)