Cumbrians win bounce game
Carlisle United hosted a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday afternoon when Alan Archibald and former-Blue Scott Paterson brought a young Partick Thistle side to Brunton Park for what turned out to be an entertaining game.
Both sides started brightly and Josh Gillies brought a decent save from the keeper when he let one fly from just outside the area following a half clearance from a Symington free kick.
Gillies then went through two challenges before spotting Salmon in space. The alert stopper again did well when he dived to parry the goal-bound effort away.
The Cumbrians grabbed the lead on 34 minutes with a flowing move which involved neat touches from Gillies, Beck and Salmon. And it was Alex Salmon who eventually broke through to clip the ball over the advancing keeper.
Carlisle kept the pressure on and they doubled their lead just before the break when Peter Murphy flicked a low Gillies corner on at the near post. Mark Beck was on hand to volley it into the bottom corner from very close range.
The lively Josh Gillies was an inch away from adding to the tally on the stroke of half time when he latched onto a flick header from Beck. He connected well but his shot angled just past the upright.
Feely, Todd and Symington had sighters as the teams exchanged half chances after the restart but Thistle were right back in it on 69 minutes when James Martin arrived from nowhere to stab the ball home.
United were stung and they pushed forward in numbers with Alex Salmon again going close when he rattled the woodwork with a dipping free kick from just outside the area.
Carlisle made things more comfortable with seven minutes left to play when Thomson made a determined run down the right flank from deep inside his own half. His pull back was perfect for substitute Danny Hodgson but the keeper somehow got a leg to what appeared to be a certain goal. Patrick Brough had the relatively easy task of slotting the ball into the empty net.
And the home side rounded off the scoring for the day when Brough made his way to the by-line. His cross found an off-balance Danny Hodgson who did enough to guide a deflected volley over the line.
United - Fleming, Thomson, Feely, Edwards, Murphy (Marshall 73), Symington (Dempsey 67), Todd, Lynch, Gillies (Brough 67), Salmon, Beck (Hodgson 67). Subs - Eccles.
Goals - Salmon (34), Beck (40), Brough (83), Hodgson (85).
