Chris Lumsdon was drafted in to the United midfield for the trip to face a Swansea City side who have become a bit of a bogey team for the Cumbrians over recent seasons, as Greg Abbott looked to make sure that the battle in the centre of the park would be a tough one for the home side.

Paul Arnison kept his place on the right of defence, with Dave Raven partnering Danny Livesey in the middle, despite a return to fitness for centre back Peter Murphy. Danny Graham moved to the bench, with Bridge-Wilkinson briefed to support striker Joe Garner as much as possible.

Memories of the Trundle inspired 5-0 drubbing from last season were still fresh in the memory for United, and an accident hampered, stress filled journey for the hardy travelling United fans did little to lighten the mood for the long road trip in to South Wales.

Jason Scotland was always going to be a threat, with his height and presence, and he had the first half chance of the evening when he dropped his shoulder on Raven and cut inside. Thirlwell was covering, and put a block in to prevent the shot.

Paul Arnison executed a perfect sliding tackle in the 3rd minute when Duffy thought he'd gone clean through from a Scotland pass. The United right back went to ground, but he came away with the ball, leaving the Jacks screaming for a non-existent penalty.

An injury to captain Paul Thirlwell forced Abbott in to an early switch, with Danny Graham taking to the field to lead the line. Garner dropped slightly deeper, with Bridge-Wilkinson taking up the spoiling midfielder role.

The Swans were on the attack again in the 10th minute when Britton intercepted an Aranalde pass, A brief tussle involving the pair left the nippy wide man with possession, and he sprinted forward to deliver a low cross in to the box. Duffy got a touch, but it was heavy and ran nicely for Westwood.

The Cumbrians had their own decent spell, starting on 11 minutes with a break down the right. Graham had an initial cross blocked, but Arnison was following up to send a low curler to the near post. Jeff Smith was there with a toe poke, and it took a dive from de Vries to parry it away as it headed for the bottom corner.

The set piece delivery that followed was a good one, with Livesey winning it with a back post header. Swansea could only half clear it, and Bridge-Wilkinson was left with his head in his hands as his 20 yard left-foot volley zipped just wide of the target.

It was an all-action match, with incident at both ends, and Jason Scotland was on the end of another ball forward in the 16th minute, but was embarrassed when his first time volley headed for the corner flag.

Westwood scuffed his goal kick from that one, sending it at Duffy, but Raven and Livesey covered until the keeper could recover the situation.

Scotland then took up a great position on the edge of the United box, before forging beyond Arnison and Raven to make room for the ball in. That came low, and Westwood was able to claim it at the second attempt as it spooned up high in to the air.

Carlisle were caught napping at a quick free kick in the 19th minute when Britton sprinted in to the box. With time to spare, he chose a near post ball, and it took an Arnison tackle to take it away from the waiting strikers.

Britton took charge of the corner, and it was head tennis as three white shirts rose to meet it. Joe Garner held his position on the line, and he did well to clear it as he found himself heading both the ball and the post.

Arnison and Gall supported each other well in the 31st minute as they tried to find a path to the bye line down the right. It eventually came to the defender, and his whipped first time cross had de Vries at full stretch as he had to punch it away. Arnison waited for the rebound, but his attempted 26 yard curler was never going to trouble the nets.

Andy Robinson got in to the game after the half hour, twice finding himself behind the defence on the Carlisle right. His 33rd minute run culminated in a blistering shot, that Westwood did well to get two hands to. Scotland could only see the back of the net as it bounced up in front of him, and Arnison threw himself in the way to complete a vital block that denied a certain goal.

Leon Britton produced a real moment of skill in the 41st minute when he beat two and edged inside the covering defenders. His cross / shot flew beyond Westwood, but Duffy couldn't apply the touch that would have opened the scoring on the night.

United then played out the move of the game in the 42nd minute when they swept the ball from defence to attack with just four touches. Bridge-Wilkinson and Garner used the space in front of them well, and Smith timed his run to take him round the back. Graham showed at the front post, but de Vries was there to smother it and end the move.

Chris Lumsdon then sent a raking 30 yard pass straight down the middle, as Gall found himself one on one against Austin. The left back got a heel to it, and Gall couldn't direct his turn and shot beyond the white shirts, who had got back in numbers.

The half finished with the Jacks on the attack, and Westwood was to thank for a fantastic save in the second minute of time added on when Britton lobbed a left foot cross towards the penalty spot. Duffy was completely unmarked, and he thought he'd picked his spot with a deft header that was looping just beneath the bar. The United keeper had recovered his position quickly, and he was able to dive backwards and scoop it out, popping it over the bar for a corner.

Half Time: Swansea 0 - 0 United

The second half started in exactly the way that Greg Abbott would have asked as the blue shirts battled for the ball and got forward in numbers.

A neat cross in to the box caught Swansea unawares, and Britton tried to be cute as he took it on to his chest. He hadn't bargained on Jeff Smith stealing in behind him, and the Carlisle player had his heels clipped just as he shaped to shoot. Mr Penton had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, though it was something of a surprise to see Britton stay on the field of play having denied a clear scoring opportunity.

Danny Graham ignored the Swans complaints and stepped up to stroke the ball in to the bottom right hand corner, converting his second penalty of the campaign.

The home side tried to respond quickly, and Robinson went on another mazy run in the 53rd minute, pulling defenders towards him. He crashed a fierce shot through the gaggle of bodies, and Westwood had to react late, beating the ball away with his legs. Pratley was on to it, but Raven was on hand to cover the danger.

The Swans were probing, and getting little in the way of joy out of a tight United defence, and the home side were almost made to pay for a lapse in concentration in the 63rd minute when Westwood sent a huge kick straight down the middle. Everyone let it go, and Graham was able to trap it and take a free run on goal. With just the keeper to beat, he lost his balance and screwed his shot over the bar, and the Swansea inquest as to why he was allowed so much space began.

More good football from the visitors in the 70th minute, this time on the left, gave Garner time to feed a pass through to Bridge-Wilkinson. He carried it to the edge of the box, but he couldn't find the target as he pulled the shot over the bar.

Westwood tipped a Lawrence header over in the 72nd minute as the Swans kept plugging away, and they were rewarded for their endeavour in the 81st minute when Robinson cut inside and shot from 25 yards out. It skipped up wickedly off the surface, rebounding off the United stopper, and Duffy moved in to register his first goal of the season.

All of the impetus was coming from Robinson, and he started the move that put his side in front in the 83rd minute, when he ran at the wall of blue in front of him. That left space on the left, and the cross was whipped in by Anderson, and it took the slightest of deflections off Arnison as it made its way towards the back of the net.

Duffy was denied his second of the night in the 88th minute when he went one on one with Westwood, but the big keeper was out quickly to get the block in at his feet.

Jeff Smith was almost on the end of a specualtive cross in to the area in the closing stages of the game, but a brave dive from de Vries prevented a shooting chance.

Goals

Swans - Duffy (81), Anderson (83)

United - Graham (pen 47)

Bookings

Swans - Britton (47)

United - Lumsdon (85), Carlton (88)

Teams

Swansea - de Vries, Austin (Anderson 71), Britton, Pratley, Scotland (Feeney 90), Duffy, Lawrence, Monk, Robinson, Rangel, Allen (Butler 60). Subs - O'Leary, Knight, Feeney.

United - Westwood, Arnison, Raven, Livesey, Aranalde, Gall (Carlton 85), Bridge-Wilkinson, Lumsdon, Thirlwell (Graham 7), Smith, Garner (Murphy 73). Subs - Howarth, Hackney.

Away fans - tbc