Published at 09:19, Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Carlisle United 1 Middlesbrough 2: Fighting a losing battle for airtime and column inches just now is the old truth that will finally rise up and confront Carlisle United in 10 days’ time.

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It is that their opening league engagement with Bristol Rovers, on August 9, will – in its own way – be twice as tough as this engrossing and entertaining duel with some of the Premier League’s elite.

Last night’s friendly against a Middlesbrough side stuffed with international talent scored so highly for enjoyment that it just feels appropriate today to throw in a reminder that it won’t be anything like this at the Memorial Stadium; the intensity of the occasion will fly through the roof compared to the agreeable atmosphere in which United and Boro squared up at Brunton Park.

This is not, repeat not, an implication that Gareth Southgate’s Premier League nobility simply came for a gentle stroll around the Cumbrian greensward - or that John Ward’s Carlisle troops allowed their visitors the freedom of Brunton Park.

Far from it. For one thing, Boro fielded a conspicuously strong starting XI, headed by £12.7m worth of Brazilian striker (Afonso Alves), and their snappy passing and sharp movement was met by a United side who performed with encouraging spirit and confidence.

Over 90 minutes, it might not have carried the rumbling force of meaningful battle – but as an educational tool for Ward, and a quite engaging night’s viewing for the 3,281 supporters, it checked all the right boxes.

A selection of the things we now know about United, on last night’s evidence: you could just about slip a cigarette paper between Chris Howarth and Ben Williams as they jostle to become Ward’s first-choice goalkeeper (Howarth, against high-class marksmen, was excellent here); Danny Carlton, who headed Carlisle’s goal shortly after Jeremie Aliadiere’s Boro opener, is starting to reveal certain qualities which validate Ward’s insistence that the striker can make a belated impact in League One this coming season.

Darren Campion, with a tough, determined display against the elusive Aliadiere, is now beyond doubt a credible rival to left-back Evan Horwood. Luke Joyce, given 90 minutes in midfield, has tossed another demanding selection question in Ward’s path. And the challenge of picking two centre-halves from the capable trio of Danny Livesey, Peter Murphy and Josh Gowling remains mind-bendingly hard after the latter’s solid full home debut last night.

In the beginning, there was a blur of Middlesbrough movement, which took Alves past Gowling on the edge of the box and required Murphy to attend to the danger. That was merely 28 seconds in, yet the anticipated surges of red pressure didn’t quite follow.

There were certainly spells of sharp approach play, often launched by the new recruit Didier Digard at the base of the Boro midfield. And Southgate’s troops looked particularly dangerous when the pace of Adam Johnson was enlisted down the left and the zip of Aliadiere appeared on the right.

Yet Carlisle were attentive in the face of these and other threats, including the roaming Egyptian enigma Mido on his first pre-season outing. Alves made scant early inroads, other than an 11th minute header which arrowed into the wet turf and reared up at Howarth, who tipped over.

By then, the Cumbrians had almost taken a startling lead themselves in the eighth minute, when Michael Bridges earned a free-kick and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson curled the set-piece fractionally wide.

There were few other authentic chances for the Blues in the first half, despite the persistence of Bridge-Wilkinson in the centre and Jeff Smith and Cleveland Taylor down respective flanks; the giant defensive pair of Robert Huth and David Wheater proved too imposing for the likes of Bridges and Danny Graham, despite the obvious skills of the former in tight spaces.

Boro threatened through Johnson who, after a slick one-two with Mido, rifled over from just inside the box. Then Murphy determinedly raced back to foil the advancing Aliadiere. And then Mido, with a spin and curling shot, was just off target as the first half closed.

Then, quite suddenly, the defining incidents arrived in a cluster after the restart. First, Boro took the lead when an attack prompted by Turkish sub Tuncay ended with Aliadiere knifing through Carlisle’s defence and drilling past Howarth.

Yet two minutes on and the Blues had claimed an impressive leveller. Taylor forced a corner down the left, then quick-thinking at the set-piece from Smith and Bridge-Wilkinson resulted in a superb whipped cross from the latter which was glanced convincingly into the top corner by Carlton, who had also just risen from the bench.

Boro’s second – a splendid long-range strike from the excellent Digard eight minutes later – was worthy of their status. But the Blues spiritedly fought back and when Graham set up Taylor in promising territory, only a goal-line lunge by Wheater prevented a second equaliser on the hour.

The game continued to flow openly and Howarth impressed with a smart low stop from Alves, before bravely denying Tuncay after another nimble Boro attack. Finally - after a flurry of substitutions and decent efforts from Grant Smith and Simon Hackney for Carlisle - Howarth flew to his left to keep out a venomous Alves free-kick.

By then, Boro’s superiority had been predictably established but Ward was entitled to register his pleasure at Carlisle’s bright football which, following Saturday’s draw with Preston, appears to be pouring from the training ground even as he shuffles his squad.

“What we’re doing at the minute is pleasing to the eye,” was the United manager’s contented verdict last night. If he’s still saying that when the heat rises at Bristol, the pleasure may be all ours.

MATCH FACTS

Carlisle: Howarth, Raven, Murphy (capt) (Livesey 46), Gowling, Campion, J Smith (Hackney 69), Joyce, Bridge-Wilkinson (Thirlwell 69), Taylor (G Smith 69), Bridges (Carlton 46), Graham (Madine 69). Subs: Williams, Horwood, Dobie.
Goal: Carlton 48.

Middlesbrough: Jones (Steele 72), Young (capt) (Bennett 80), Taylor (McMahon 80), Huth (Grounds 66), Wheater, Digard (Arca 66), Aliadiere (Emnes 80), Shawky, Johnson, Alves, Mido (Tuncay 46).
Goals: Aliadiere 46, Digard 56.

Referee: J Moss

Att: 3,281

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