SATURDAY 28th FEBRUARY 2009

CARLISLE CITY 2-1 CRAMLINGTON TOWN

City handed Alliance debuts to two new players. In goal, Adam Bradley, once of
Carlisle United, took the place of Jordan English. At centre-half, Stuart Hill made his
first appearance for the club. The big defender is son of former City keeper Nicky,
and has had spells in Scotland with Queen of the South and Annan Athletic. The only
other change to the City side, from last week’s win over Peterlee, was Chris Kelleher
starting in place of Olly Driver.

The visitors won the game’s first corner in the 4th minute, but Atkinson’s kick was
wasted as his colleagues were penalised for pushing. A promising run forward from
Woodrow was halted by a foul from Armstrong, but Hogg’s free-kick was
comfortable for Bradley to save.

After 9 minutes, Burton and Amato combined to win City’s first corner. Taken from
the left by Amato, his delivery was behind most of his team-mates and the chance was
wasted. In the 12th minute, Cramlington’s Dormund found himself clear and bearing
down on the City goal. However, Bradley was out quickly and bravely collected the
ball at the striker’s feet. After 15 minutes, Yallop’s strong header sent Holliday
galloping up the left wing. His cross found Kelleher just outside the visitors’ area, but
his shot was charged down.

After 18 minutes, another Cramlington corner from Atkinson was safely handled by
the confident Bradley. City went straight upfield and a clumsy challenge by keeper
Hanson saw Holliday fall in the penalty box, but penalty appeals were waved away by
referee Bass. In the 22nd minute, Scott beat Green on the Cramlington left, and
Armstrong had to be alert to make the clearance. A Cramlington free-kick taken by
Woodrow was then blocked by Foster. After 24 minutes, Amato’s free-kick was
easily collected by Hanson, as both sides struggled to create any clear-cut chances.

The first booking of the game went to Armstrong after 26 minutes, following his foul.
The resulting free-kick from Hogg was blocked by Kelleher. A foul on Holliday by
Woodrow gave City a free-kick in a promising area, but Hill’s delivery was weak. It
was something of a surprise when a goal arrived in the 29th minute, and it was City
who took the lead. Bell collected the ball wide on the left wing, and appeared to be
lofting a cross into the box. He was probably as surprised as anyone when the ball
soared over Hanson, and landed in the top corner of the net.

After 32 minutes, Kelleher was fouled by Howitt, and Foster’s free-kick was laid off
by Burton, into the path of Kelleher. The City man ran strongly into the penalty box,
but was crowded out by the Cramlington defence. In the 35th minute, a viciously-
struck left-wing corner from Kelleher was headed wide by Armstrong. Two minutes
later, Dormund eluded the City offside trap to race clear, but he was again foiled by a
sharp save from Bradley.

In the 39th minute, Holliday conceded a free-kick to Cramlington, and Hogg’s ball
into the box flew just wide. Just before the interval, Kelleher’s right wing cross was
volleyed wide by Bell.
HALF-TIME- CITY 1-0 CRAMLINGTON

Rather belatedly, both sides observed a minute’s silence during the interval in
memory of former Alliance secretary John MacLackland, who died last week. City
started the second period on the offensive, and Holliday chased a through ball with
Downie. The award of a corner seemed rather generous, but Amato’s right-wing cross
had to be cleared over his own crossbar by Merilo. Kelleher’s corner was then cleared
behind by Dormund, before Parsons cleared his lines at the expense of another flag-
kick. Eventually, Kelleher’s last corner sailed behind out of play.

In the 50th minute, Holliday shot narrowly wide before Cramlington responded with a
run from North that won his side a corner. Atkinson’s kick was cleared by the City
defence. A neat move between Bell and Kelleher ended with Parsons upending
Kelleher just outside the Cramlington box. Amato’s free-kick found Bell inside the
area, but his shot was deflected wide for another corner, that came to nothing.

In the 56th minute, neat play between Woodrow and North took Cramlington forward
up their left wing, but North ran the ball out of play. Referee Bass, who had a rather
eccentric 90 mintes, produced a peculiar yellow card for Cramlington’s Woodrow on
the hour mark. The decision seemed to bemuse both sides, but the referee could be
heard describing “ a swinging foot” as the reason for the caution. In the 61st minute,
the visitors threatened through Woodrow and Dormund, but Bradley was out quickly
to collect the cross, just in front of Scott.

In the 66th minute, North shot well wide from 20 yards. At this stage, both sides made
changes, as Cramlington brought on Armstrong and Patrick, and City replaced Burton
with Priest. Kelleher ran strongly up the middle of the field, but his shot was easily
saved by Hanson. In the 73rd minute, Bell missed a fine chance from 10 yards as the
ball was crossed in from the right. Armstrong then saved the City side with a fine
tackle on Dormund.

In the 76th minute, Cramlington drew level with a fine 18-yard shot from North, that
flew past Bradley into the top corner of the net. However, the sides were only level
for five minutes, before City went ahead again. A long free-kick into the Cramlington
area tempted Hanson from his goal-line, and he was beaten by the tall figure of Hill,
who headed the ball over the advancing keeper. The ball bounced down off the
crossbar, but was knocked into the net by Yallop, scoring for the second successive
game.

Cramlington responded with a free-kick 25 yards out, but Hogg’s lobbed shot cleared
the City bar. In the 85th minute, Amato’s left wing cross was met by Kelleher, but his
volley slid narrowly wide. City then brought on Watson in place of Amato. In the 87th
minute, Atkinson found Woodrow inside the City box, and his shot took a wicked
deflection off Holliday, but Bradley was there to make the save. In the 90th minute,
City were awarded a penalty as Priest was fouled by Armstrong. Priest took the kick
himself but saw his shot pushed away by Hanson.

The referee blew for time soon after this, adding hardly any injury time. City take the
points for the third game in succession, moving them up to 5th in the table, and they
will be happy with the promising performances of new boys Bradley and Hill.
Cramlington showed enough to suggest that they will have every chance of escaping
the relegation dogfight.

TEAMS- CITY- Bradley, Green, Yallop, Armstrong, Hill, Kelleher, Foster, Burton,
Holliday, Bell, Amato. SUBS- Priest, Heath, Watson, Simpson, Milne.
CRAMLINGTON- Hanson, Merilo, Howitt, Downie, Parsons, Hogg, Atkinson,
Woodrow, Scott, Dormund, North. SUBS- Armstrong, Patrick, Sweeney, Eagan

REFEREE- P. Bass

BOOKINGS- CITY- Armstrong CRAMLINGTON- Woodrow