Live from Brunton Park, Lee Rooney brings you blow by blow action from this tonight's League One game against Walsall. Keep pressing refresh on your browser to read the latest update.
CARLISLE UNITED 1 (Thirlwell 19) WALSALL 1 (Ricketts pen 84) FT
2135: A point a piece at full-time and it's probably just about a fair result. United really could have killed the game off by half-time though and will rue some of those missed chances before the break. Credit to Walsall though who battled on but only managed to beat Williams with a fortunate looking penalty. I'll be back in eleven days when United take on Stockport County at Brunton Park. Until then, here's to 3 points at Brighton on Saturday!
FULL TIME - Carlisle United 1 (Thirlwell 19) Walsall 1 (Ricketts pen 84)
91 mins: Corner for the visitors but Williams claims it very confidently.
90 mins: There will be a minimum of 4 minutes time added on at the end of the game.
89 mins: Walsall nearly take the lead. A cross from the right is headed away by Keogh but Bradley connects superbly with a volley that flies just wide of the post.
86 mins: Bridges and Gerrard tangle again and the Walsall defender goes down but no free-kick is given. Bridges lays it back to the on rushing Thirlwell whose low drive is well stopped by Gilmartin.
84 mins: GOAL! Carlisle United 1 Walsall 1 (Ricketts pen) - Former Bolton and England man Michael Ricketts scores. Williams went the right way but it's very well struck.
83 mins: PENALTY - Walsall are given a spot kick after Zaaboub goes down in the box under Thirlwell's challenge. Looks a very soft decision.
82 mins: United make their final change of the evening. Evan Horwood picked up a knock a few minutes ago and Abbott decides not to risk it getting worse and brings on Michael Burns for his United debut.
81 mins: Gerrard barges into the back of Bridges and concedes a free-kick. A little bit of afters but it's nothing more than handbags. Kane whips in a great free-kick which Graham flicks on but Bridges can't quite get on the end of it.
77 mins: Long punt forward by Walsall falls to Ricketts and he smashes a shot goalwards but it's bravely blocked by Keogh.
73 mins: United make their second change of the evening. Joe Anyinsah, who's put in a hard working performance upfront alongside Danny Graham, comes off and Michael Bridges comes on.
69 mins: Chance for Walsall. RIght-wing cross by Bradley is headed back across goal by Ricketts and Hughes gets on the end of it but puts it wide. He really should have buried it.
67 mins: A more conventional clearance this time by Gerrard but again it's a corner on the right. Neal takes it and Ricketts gets on the end of it to clear the ball.
66 mins: Anthony Gerrard manages to scuff his clearance out for a corner instead of a throw-in. It's whipped in from the right by Neal and it's cleared more or less off the line by Boertien.
61 mins: Ricketts is involved already as he tangles with Murphy and falls to the floor. Mr Pawson is having none of it though and waves away his animated protests.
60 mins: Tonight's attendance is 4,502. The visitors make their first two changes of the night. Both forwards Troy Deeney and Jabo Ibehre come off to be replaced by Sam Williams and Michael Ricketts.
58 mins: Lovely little dink over a sliding defender by Taylor on the halfway line and he's away down the right thanks to an Anyinsah pass. He sends in a first time cross but Graham and Neal can't quite catch up with him and it's cleared by the Walsall defence.
55 mins: Looks like my medical judgement isn't up to scratch! United make their first change of the night. David Raven hasn't managed to shrug off that injury he picked up in the first-half and Tony Kane comes on to make his debut after signing on-loan from Blackburn Rovers earlier today.
54 mins: Nicholls is almost away down the right but it's a brilliant diving tackle by Horwood. He's having a good game tonight. Second half has started similar to the first, very scrappy with both teams struggling to keep possession for long periods.
49 mins: Good link up play by the two Walsall front men again but Lummy intercepts and concedes a corner when it looks like a chance for the visitors. The corner is whipped in from the right but it's easily cleared.
46 mins: Looks like Raven has shrugged off the knock he picked up just before half-time as he's moving around quite freely now.
2046: Both teams are now back out and it looks like there'll be no changes for either side just yet. United to kick-off and they'll be attacking the Warwick Road End this half.
2043: Bit more plugging for you at half-time. Fancy travelling down to Brighton at the weekend in a bit of comfort? Maybe a nice romantic Valentines Day trip to the coast for you and your partner? Well Blues Travel are running a luxury coach, which includes Sky TV on board. For full details click here but be quick as seats are selling fast.
2036: Yes, I've just noticed that it says "Colchester United" in the top bit. That'll teach me for lifting templates from old stories!
2033: Bit of a slow start to the game but it burst into life on 19 minutes thanks to Paul Thirlwell's stunning strike. That's one that is definitely worth seeing again. United could have had a few more but Walsall's front pairing of Deeney and Ibehre look dangerous and are giving Murph and Keogh plenty to think about. So far the score is a fair one but that could all change in the second half. I'll be back shortly for a bit more crack.
HALF-TIME - Carlisle United 1 (Thirlwell 19) Walsall 0
46 mins: Ibehre tangles with Horwood and turns and shoots on the edge of the box but it goes well wide of Williams' goal.
45 mins: There will be a minimum of 1 minute added time before the break.
44 mins: Good trickery in the middle from Taylor and he sends Neal away free on the left. He advances towards goal and hits a shot that goes just wide of the near post. He looks disappointed and he might be thinking he should have crossed it.
42 mins: Taylor uses his strength to win the ball on the right and sends in a lofted cross that Anyinsah gets on the end of but he heads it straight into the ground and it's an easy save for Gilmartin.
40 mins: Some tasty challenges going in there and United are battling for every ball. Looks like Raven might have picked up a knock though. He's carrying on for the moment though.
37 mins: Another great break by United sees Raven sets Graham free down the wing. He sends in a cross from the right and Anyinsah gets on the end of it but it's just behind him and he can't direct it towards goal. Graham tries to retrieve it but he's flagged offside.
33 mins: Murphy nicks the ball off a Walsall attacker and plays a superb ball to Graham. He heads it to Anyinsah who is in acres of space on the left. He advances in to the area and plays it to Graham who's in space but scuffs his shot wide. He'll be disappointed with that but it's still great link up play between the two United forwards.
32 mins: Taylor wins a free-kick on the right byline. It's whipped in by Neal and the Walsall defence scramble it away for a corner. Neal takes that again and Graham gets on the end of it but he heads it high and wide.
27 mins: Great save by Ben Williams. A left-wing cross from Zaaboub is headed goalward by Deeney and it's superbly tipped over by the United stopper. The resulting corner is cleared by Taylor and then Raven.
22 mins: Nearly a second for United. Good play between Neal and Horwood, with the latter whipping in a cross that's flicked on by Graham and it falls to Taylor at the far post but he blasts his shot well over. Difficult angle but he could maybe have taken a touch first. United look a lot more confident now.
19 mins: GOAL! Carlisle United 1 (Thirlwell) Walsall 0 - What a goal. Unbelievable! MBW has a contender for the Goal of the Season award. Brilliant skill on the edge of the area by Neal, he tries a shot but it's blocked. It falls nicely for Thirlwell and he curls it beautifully into the top corner with his right foot, the ball crashing off the bar and into the net. That's his third of the season, he's scored more in this current campaign than in his entire career. I hope he's sorted himself a goal scoring bonus in that new contract because that strike deserves one!
16 mins: Good trickery by Neal on the left wins a corner. He takes it himself and it gets into the six yard box but it's headed away by Ibehre. The former Preston man has looked lively so far.
14 mins: Another chance for United and it's Neal again. It's a more difficult one this time though as he's stretching to get on the end of Danny Graham's right wing cross and it's an easy stop for the Walsall keeper.
13 mins: Lucky escape for United. Lumsdon gives away a free-kick 20 yards out. It's lofted in by Zaaboub and Deeney flicks it across goal for Ibehre to put it in the net. Luckily for the Blues, the assistant referee has his flag up straight away. Ben Williams isn't happy with his defence after Deeney was given a free header to knock it back across goal for Ibehre.
8 mins: First chance for the visitors as Troy Deeney gets on the end of a cross from the left but his header is well over the bar.
7 mins: Didn't mention this earlier but it's also Chris Lumsdon's first start of the season. It's been a frustrating campaign for Lummy but he'll be looking to cement his place in the side tonight.
6 mins: Almost a debut goal for Neal. A long punt forward by Lumsdon isn't dealt with by the Walsall defence and Anyinsah flicks it into Neal's path but his shot is straight at goalkeeper Gilmartin. Could have done better but did well to get into the position for the shot.
5 mins: Pretty uneventful so far, with both sides struggling to keep possession. A few touches already for debutant Lewis Neal, who looks tidy on the ball.
1944: Walsall get the game underway, a minute ahead of schedule. Good start for Mr Pawson!
1943: Both teams are out on the pitch and the usual pre-game stuff is taking place. Looks like Walsall have won the toss and will kick-off, with United kicking towards the Waterworks End in the first-half.
1939: It's that time again. Here's a quick plug to keep you busy until kick-off. Tom Aldred's latest blog is up on the League Football Education website so check it out when you get the chance and maybe leave a comment.
1937: Tonight's referee is Mr Craig Pawson from South Yorkshire. It's his first season on the Football League list, having been promoted from the Blue Square Premier list at the start of the current campaign. His two assistants are Paul Marsden and Lee Metcalfe, with David Unsworth taking up fourth official duties. From what I can gather, that's not the ex-footballer, who I believe is still at Huddersfield Town.
1928: The Walsall team includes some familiar faces. The most obvious of those is former United defender Paul Boertien, who will be playing left-back this evening and will be looking to banish the memory of last season's fixture between the two sides where he conceded a penalty in the first-half of a 2-1 United win. Fellow defender Anthony Gerrard is the cousin of Liverpool and England star Steven and sub Michael Ricketts played one game for England a few years ago during his time at Bolton Wanderers.
1921: Looks like 4-4-2 for United, with Joe Anyinsah pushing upfront with Danny Graham and Cleveland Taylor moving to the right, with Neal taking his place on the left. That means Michael Bridges is on the bench again and is joined by new loan signing Tony Kane. Also on the bench for the first time is Michael Burns, with Madine and Howarth filling the final two spots.
1918: So there's a few changes for United this evening. Danny Livesey and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson both miss out due to injury. Michael Liddle is on international duty with Republic of Ireland U-21s and so Evan Horwood comes in for his first start since the 2-0 FA Cup replay win over Grays Athletic at the end of November last year. Richard Keogh comes in for Livesey while Lewis Neal makes his debut on the left-wing after signing from Preston North End two weeks ago. For Walsall, goalkeeper Clayton Ince is on international duty, with Rene Gilmartin deputising in his absence.
1915: Tonight's teams are as follows:
Carlisle: Williams, Raven, Murphy, Keogh, Horwood, Taylor, Thirlwell, Lumsdon, Neal, Anyinsah, Graham. Subs: Howarth, Bridges, Burns, Kane, Madine.
Walsall: Gilmartin, Weston, Boertien, Gerrard, Hughes, Palmer, Ibehre, Zaaboub, Bradley, Nicholls, Deeney. Subs: Belshaw (GK), Ricketts, Smith, Williams, Davies.
1905: Evening folks and welcome to tonight's Min by Min report. United take on Walsall at Brunton Park in a game that was originally due to take place on 3 January but was postponed due to the cold weather. It's cold this evening but thankfully not too cold so the game is very much on. Full team news shortly.
