It was all change for Carlisle United at Brunton Park this afternoon as Paul Simpson handed League starts to three of his players for the first time this season.
Keiren Westwood, Dave Beharall and loan signing Alan O'Brien all came in to a side looking to turn around a recent run of disappointing results whilst Derek Holmes made a welcome return from injury up front. Paul Arnison and Chris Lumsdon both dropped to the bench to make way for the new comers.
An attack minded formation saw Murphy take up a position on the left, utilising the strength of Chris Billy to break up the Rovers play in the middle. Alan O'Brien was given an obvious brief - get at them as much as you can - working closely with Holmes as Karl Hawley slipped himself in to a deeper starting position.
It was almost a dream start for the United debut man as a lightning quick attack carved open an early opportunity for the Blues. Adam Murray picked the ball up on the right, swung in a great cross and picked out Holmes at the far post. His header came to Murphy, who was unlucky to see his effort bounce back off the woodwork, but O'Brien was on hand to follow up. Aaron Lescott was stood on the line and was able to prevent a first ever League goal for the Magpies man.
However, it served only to delay the inevitable as Adam Murray fed the ball through for the waiting O'Brien in the 7th minute. Elliott slipped, allowing the pacy winger to open up a gap, and it left him one on one with the keeper. Shearer did his best to put him off but Alan O'Brien stayed cool, drawing the stopper and slotting home with some aplomb.
It was a busy start from the Cumbrians as they enjoyed a string of corners and some decent possession and they almost extended their lead with another classy football move in the 15th minute. Murphy picked the ball up deep before linking with Murray, who in turn found the very mobile Derek Holmes. The big Scots striker worked room for a cross but Hawley was just inches away from being able to turn it in to the net.
Agogo had a chance for the Pirates in the 17th minute when persistent play saw the ball break for him just inside the box. He tried to angle it across the face of the goal and in to the corner of the net but Westwood was watching it closely.
It became a better spell for the visitors with Ali Gibb, in particular, seeing alot of the ball. They struggled to break through a much more organised United back line than in recent weeks as every blue shirt looked to get close to and hassle their opponents, closing down very quickly indeed.
The game spent long periods in midfield as the conditions, a blustery wind and fine rain, made things very difficult for both sets of players and it wouldn't be until the 38th minute that another half chance would be created. Murphy ran on to a loose ball and unleashed a powerful drive from 25 yards, but it was always curling wide.
Aranalde went for goal from a 27 yard free kick 60 seconds later but Shearer was able to gather as it bounced nicely in front of him. Hesitancy at the back for Carlisle nearly opened the door for Richard Walker when Carruthers and Agogo passed their way in to a good position. A back post cross was headed skywards by Beharall and, as he waited for the ball to come down again, Walker muscled his way in executing a very good volley that zipped across the goal and just behind for a goal kick.
Strong appeals for a penalty were waved away as half time approached when Hawley turned Hinton in the box, stealing a yard. The Pirates defender appeared to have jumped in but Mr Laws gave the free kick the other way as the United striker hit the deck.
Half Time: United 1 - 0 Rovers
Both teams seemed to come out fired up for the second period and it was Rovers who would create the first chance when Agogo left Livesey behind out wide.
He looked up as he stole a couple of yards and spotted Walker in a good position, managing to find him with a pinpoint cross. How his strike partner didn't score will be something the pair will probably discuss on the bus journey home, as he guided his header well wide.
United responded with a good move as Beharall got forward and put a cross in that had Holmes interested, but Shearer was able to gather and get the ball clear.
Carlisle allowed the tempo to slip and Rovers were looking dangerous as Agogo and Gibb found themselves gifted the ball on a number of occasions. It was the former who was allowed to run at the heart of the defence in the 53rd minute but his shot was weak, fortunately for the static defence.
The good period for the visitors got even better in the 57th minute when an Ali Gibb cross, that should really have been dealt with at source, found Westwood trying to palm it away. He got it, but pushed the ball on to the retreating Danny Livesey who could do nothing as it bounced off him and in to the net.
It was very nervy indeed for the Cumbrians as they started to commit unforced errors and Paul Simpson decided to change tack, bringing Glenn Murray on for Derek Holmes with 25 minutes left.
The dangerous Ali Gibb skipped away down the right once more in the 69th minute and was able to drive a superb cross beyond Murphy for Junior Agogo to rise on to. He shook Livesey off, but couldn't keep the header down, and sent it well over the bar in the end.
Nade came on for Hawley as Simpson again looked for something new and O'Brien pushed himself across the back line to the right hand side in an attempt to confuse the situation.
In a second half of very tight football, that Rovers were shading because of the way they were managing to keep the ball better than United, the visitors started to look for another goal as Agogo and Walker pushed themselves further on. It was Agogo who showed his skill in the 79th minute when he took a bouncing ball, possibly with his hand, and started to twist and turn his way towards goal. He got his piledriver on target but Westwood did enough to tip it away with his fingers.
O'Brien tried to get things moving again at the right end when he played a short pass in to Glenn Murray and he turned and shot, getting too much on it as he sent it high.
The 82nd minute summed up the recent spell for the Blues when Agogo, going absolutely nowhere, fired a low cross in to a box that had no Rovers shirts in attendance at all. Zigor Aranalde managed to get in the way of it and deflected it beyond Westwood, who probably had the initial shot covered, to make it 2-1 to the visiting side.
It was now down to whether Carlisle could get something from an afternoon that had started so brightly and Lumsdon was brought on to replace Billy. Glenn Murray headed over from a Nade cross with 4 minutes to go as things just wouldn't run for Simpson's men, and Chris Lumsdon started to bring O'Brien in to the game much more with some telling passes.
As the Cumbrians pushed onwards they were undone by a sucker punch with seconds left on the clock when Agogo was allowed to use his pace to run through midfield with the ball. Westwood was committed and it just needed a clean connection to lift it beyond him. That was forthcoming and the Rovers fans behind the goal were left celebrating what was a comfortable win in the end.
Of the three defeats in this current run this one was the most disappointing. For some reason, a team that has some excellent players within its ranks crumbled and struggled to find a way to keep the ball. Bristol sensed this and, credit to them, they went for the jugular, creating chances that led to goals and three points. The reaction of the players at the end shows how deflated they are about this poor spell of form but they will have to work much harder in the key areas to turn things around. There's plenty of work to do before the trip to Oxford on Friday, and it still isn't the right time to turn a drama in to a crisis, but the fans need a win if the belief is to return.
Goals
United - O'Brien (7)
Rovers - Livesey (57 og), Aranalde (82 og), Agogo (90)
Bookings
United - Aranalde (34), Murphy (55)
Team
United - Westwood, Beharall, Gray, Livesey, Aranalde, A Murray, Billy (Lumsdon 83), Murphy, O'Brien, Hawley (Nade 72), Holmes (G Murray 63). Not Used - Williams, Arnison.
Rovers - Shearer, Lescott, Hinton, Elliott, Carruthers, Gibb, Hunt, Leary, Disley, Walker, Agogo. Not Used - Anderson, Horsell, Haldane, Forrester, Bass.
