Last gasp agony for City

Nationwide League

Division Three

at Brunton Park

Carlisle: Luke Weaver, Mark Birch, Matthew Pitts (Scott Dobie 70 mins), Stuart Whitehead, Julian Darby (Richard Prokas 70 mins), Steve Soley, Ian Stevens, Carl Heggs, Tony Hemmings, Mark Winstanley, David Lee.

Subs not used: Anthony Carrs, Richard Tracey, Craig McAughtrie.

Scorer: Soley 90 mins.

Bookings: Lee (foul) 57 mins.

York: Alan Fettis 7, Darren Edmondson 6 (Mark Thompson 82 mins), Wayne Hall 6, Barry Jones 6, Gary Hobson 8, Mark Sertori 6, Kevin Hulme 6 (Lee Bullock 67 mins, 6), Steve Agnew, Graham Potter 7, Peter Duffield 7 (Colin Alcide 74 mins), David McNiven 7.

Subs not used: Matt Hocking, Russell Howarth.

Scorer: Duffield pen 59 mins.

Bookings: Edmondson (foul) 33 mins, McNiven (foul) 52 mins, Hulme (foul) 65 mins, Bullock (dissent) 79 mins, Sertori (dissent) 90 mins.

Star Man: Gary Hobson

Gave an assured display at the heart of a defence that was beginning to look more comfortable after their recent maulings.

Referee: Phil Richards (Preston)

Attendance: 4,087

Stats

Shots on target: Carlisle 4, City 3

Corners: Carlisle 11, City 8

Fouls commited: Carlisle 11, City 19

Half-time 0-0

OLD habits die hard but there are some players who are going to have to start thinking twice about the summer changes to football's laws.

City were on their way to their first three points of the season until an injury time disaster robbed them of the full reward for their efforts at Brunton Park.

With Carlisle desperately chasing an equaliser with at least three extra minutes on the clock, despite the fourth official signalling only two to be played, City midfielder Steve Agnew committed a handball offence inside his own half.

As the ball fell defender Mark Sertori hoofed it away. Sertori claimed he had not heard the referee's whistle but Preston official Phil Richards saw it as dissent and, after booking the Minsterman, strode ten yards forward to hand Carlisle a free kick that was now well within the shooting range of United midfielder Steve Soley.

City had reason to worry as two previous dead ball attempts from similar positions had seen Soley hit the crossbar and then force a save from City keeper Alan Fettis.

This time his shot went in low, it beat the City wall - and the unsighted Fettis - and the Cumbrians had salvaged a point.

Two touches after City had restarted the game the final whistle blew and some good work by York had been totally undone - it was a thorough disappointment to the Bootham Crescent camp.

It had been a performance, while far from sparkling, that had seen City turn a corner.

Defeats against Chesterfield, Cheltenham and Stoke City at least could be given some gloss were you to claim that the Spireites are among the favourites for promotion, the boys from Gloucestershire are in form and upwardly mobile and the Potters are from a higher division.

But there could be no hiding at Brunton Park.

Carlisle have clawed themselves away from the abyss of relegation to the Conference for two seasons running and are reckoned to be prime candidates again - the performance City had got to be better than United's.

In the end they probably did shade the contest and showed a level of cogency that suggested they can be a good team unit and improve radically on their early showings.

In attack David McNiven and Peter Duffield were busy, the midfield showed some balance with Graham Potter impressing down the left, and a defence that had shipped in 11 goals in three games looked more resolute.

The backline were perhaps helped by the poverty of the first 45 minutes.

After the hammering against Stoke the clean sheet at the end of the first half was welcome, though to say they had been examined would have been like claiming a plane was air worthy after testing it in a wind-tunnel with the fans switched off.

But when put under pressure as Carlisle sought an equaliser in the final half hour the backline stood firm, with Gary Hobson putting on a promising show.

The first half was a drab and uninspiring affair with not one clear cut chance.

City's best opportunity fell to former Carlisle player Darren Edmondson but he volleyed wide and David McNiven also shot over after sharp work by Steve Agnew had set up the chance from a partially cleared corner.

Carlisle had forced Fettis to earn his corn by getting out quickly to deny Carl Heggs and then make a good save from a Matthew Pitts drive, and Hobson had to be smart to block a Tony Hemmings drive in on goal, but neither side could really claim to have bossed the contest.

However, the second half proved a much brighter affair and it was only three minutes old when Barry Jones had to get in a timely tackle to foil another Hemmings raid into the City penalty area.

On 55 minutes Carlisle went close again when a foul by Edmondson, who was hardly treading warily despite a first half caution, allowed Soley to set his sights and his free kick from 25 yards crashed against the City crossbar.

But City were producing the better football and on 59 minutes gained the lead in controversial circumstances.

Midfielder Kevin Hulme chased a ball to the right of the Carlisle goal only to go down under the challenge of Mark Birch.

There seemed to be a pull, but Carlisle were incensed when a penalty was awarded and even less enamoured when Peter Duffield tucked the ball home confidently from the spot.

Carlisle almost replied inside three minutes and Soley was handed another dead ball opportunity in shooting range, but Fettis was equal to his effort.

Hulme, already attracting the ire of the home fans for what they felt was a dive for the penalty and his constantly aggressive skirmishing, then grabbed centre stage.

Firstly he was booked for a lunge at David Lee and then he went within a whisker of adding to City's lead when he met Potter's cross with a header that Carlisle goalkeeper Luke Weaver touched on to his crossbar.

However, soon after another Hulme challenge led to him being replaced by Lee Bullock.

Carlisle went for the jugular in the last half hour, but were denied time and again.

Fettis did well to keep out Ian Stevens with a double save as the United striker recovered to put in a second shot after the Northern Ireland international had parried his first effort.

Then Fettis was beaten by a looping Heggs header, but the effort bounced a foot or two wide, and substitute Richard Prokas had his sights set on an equaliser five minutes from time, only to pull his effort embarrassingly off target.

But then as the watch ran into injury time came the moment that Sertori was to regret and City were left feeling gratified by an improved display but about 100 times more gutted by the fact two points had been squandered.