We created enough chances to have won this game easily. Stevens missed sitter after sitter, Ditto Soley, Dobie missed a one on one etc. Darlington had three good chances scored twice and had an almighty goalmouth scramble. This does not disguise the fact that individual performances were not good enough
Right through the team we were very poor.
The only player worth a clap at the end was Stevie Halliday. He set up two one on ones and fed the ball down the wings to create chances. He has got to start on Tuesday but probably won't.
The point is the only time we created chances were when we get the ball to Halliday to feed the ball through, or get the ball down towards the corners and cross the ball in.
Not by hoofing it down the middle. Not by Birch crossing the ball in from 15 yards after the half way line.
I could have another pop at Atkins but I won't bother cos I'll just get told to shut up.
Off the field things go from bad to worse. Have you seen the programme?? Back up to two quid. The last months results not in. Knighton Jnr mouthing off that the club is over staffed, only two directors his son and his puppet. oh you could go on but nothing at all has changed since last season or the season before.
Now four points adrift it looks odd on for the conference - even more so than in the last two seasons.
Chris Kearton
otally agree with Chris about Halliday. If Atkins still wants to play Stevens and Dobie up front he should play Halliday in midfield.
Dobie actually jumped out of the way of the first goal rather than let it hit him. I can't blame Dobie too much as he's been one of the best players this season and he does seem to care.
Carlisle have better players than Darlington. The only good player they have is their keeper. So Atkins must take his share of the blame. Who is it who tells the defence to hoof the ball? What do they do all week in training?
As I always say, he should drop Birch. I'll also add that he should never pick Hemmings again and he should put some midfield players on the bench for when Galloway and Connelly play badly (which is about every other game at the moment). Get Darby in the team.
As for crowds, there could be a big crowd v Hull if they are still going for the play-offs.
These are the stats from the match according to sports.com
G 22. Glennon - 6
D 2. Birch - 7
D 18. Hemmings - 5
D 19. Winstanley - 6
D 20. Maddison - 6
D 24. Morley - 6
M 13. Galloway - 6
M 8. Soley - 6
F 9. Stevens - 6
F 15. Connelly - 6
F 7. Dobie - 6
Halliday(55) - 7
Hopper
McAughtie
Alan
Carr
TEAM STATS
19 Goal attempts 8
9 On Target 5
10 Off Target 3
0 Hit Woodwork 0
12 Corners 6
8 Fouls 11
5 Offsides 2
Andrew Ashbridge
Darlington recorded only their second away win of the season to condemn Carlisle to another defeat, increasing the gap at the bottom to four points and the possibility of the Cumbrians slipping into the Conference.
You had to feel sorry for the 3726 hardy souls who braved freezing conditions to witness this relegation struggle between two sides devoid of confidence.
To be fair to Darlington they did try to play some football with the match winning goals coming from new boys Mark Ford and Kirk Jackson. It wasn’t until Darlington coasted into a two goal lead that Carlisle gained sufficient belief in themselves to try and make a game of it and but for Quakers’ keeper Andy Collett they could well have won it with a string of chances in the last twenty minutes.
Carlisle manager Ian Atkins was left disappointed again by another poor performance and said after the game: "We didn’t start particularly brilliant and the goal that we gave away was abysmal with individuals not doing their jobs on the edge of the box and letting their team mates down. We had ample ball in the box and if we had been alert enough in there we might have made the keeper work a bit more or put the chances in. We tended to wait for things to happen instead of going and making it happen. The second goal should have been cleared down the pitch but their player had more determination to win the ball than us. Once we were two down we probably created more chances than any game this season but if you don’t put them in you don’t win games."
In contrast jubilant Quakers manager Gary Bennett said after the game: "I told my players today that as long as we didn’t get beat I’d be happy. But we’ve come here, kept a clean sheet, scored two goals and overall I thought we played very well and deserved the three points. I thought we passed the ball quite well from the start but didn’t build on the first goal. We created a few more chances but didn’t put them away and I was relieved when we did get the second goal and then had to thank Andy Collett who was outstanding."
Glen Naylor almost put the visitors ahead after 4 minutes but headed wide from Clint Marcelle’s cross. As play switched to the other end a Mark Birch cross was sliced wide by Tony Hemmings.
With 13 minutes gone the Quakers took the lead when Gordon Connelly’s headed clearance fell to Mark Ford who rifled in a left foot shot from 20 yards. Mick Galloway then had a shot saved by Collett before Steve Soley shot over the bar when clear.
In first half injury time Stuart Elliott’s rasping 25 yard shot had Glennon at full stretch with Maddison clearing for a corner.
Darlington dominated the start of the second half with Glennon saving from Elliott and Jackson before Winstanley cleared a Marcelle effort off the line. Williams then shot wide of the post before Carlisle mounted their first real attack of the half on 63 minutes. A Galloway through ball found Stevens one on one with Collett but the Quakers’ keeper saved well at the forwards feet.
On 70 minutes Darlington went further ahead when Marcelle played in Jackson, for the former Unibond player to draw Glennon before slotting home a right foot shot.
Andy Collett then made saves from Carlisle substitute Steve Halliday and Soley before another one on one save with Stevens.
Collett was now on red alert making a double save from Morley and Dobie headers before producing his best of the match to keep out a Dobie header from a Connelly cross.
Halliday then set Dobie away and Collett came out to make his third one on one save.
For the Carlisle supporters it was going to be one of those days as Dobie then headed wide and Soley and Halliday both had shots just off target.
Mike Corry
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