Stats and facts from the game
Carlisle United were left to lick their wounds on Saturday evening as Notts County brought an end to their recent down-turn in form with an impress display of counter-attacking football which eventually earned them a comfortable win.
“It was an easy victory for Notts County in the end and I don’t think anyone should come here and expect to be able to get the three points like that," Greg Abbott said. "As a manager, it’s the same as it is for the fans. You want to see your players giving it everything and we could accuse them of that not being the case in this one.
“It isn’t even a game where we can point to individuals for the mistakes they made. We’ve lost this as a group from the management team to every single player in the squad, and we have to put it right as a group."
The warning signs were there early for the Cumbrians when Judge raced his way to the bye line and cut the ball back. Bishop was unmarked but he lost his bearings and missed his shot as he fell to the floor.
Judge ran from deep moments later and caused more problems as he burst through to the edge of the area. Livesey dived across to make the block and to prevent a shot on target.
Joe Garner wriggled away from his marker on the edge of the box as United started to get into the game and he took the keeper by surprise when he fizzed a wicked left foot effort just over the bar.
Matt Robson then sent a long range free kick the same way as Carlisle stayed forward, and Cadamarteri became a thorn in his side as he put the back four under pressure with some industrious play.
The Magpies played on the counter attack and Judge beat two on the left flank before curling a lovely delivery into the box. Hughes capitalised with a neat finish from close range which left Gillespie with no chance.
Carlisle went close when Garner and Cadamarteri challenged for a deep pass from Potts. It broke clear and Robson unleashed an instinctive thunderbolt which shaved the top of the bar.
There were then strong appeals for a penalty when Gillespie stretched for a high looping ball. He spilled it and clattered into Hughes as he tried to recover, but the officials waved play on despite the appeals from the visiting bench.
County then doubled their lead with an incisive move when Stewart overlapped down the left. His low cross was a teaser and Neal Bishop bided his time before sliding in to tap the ball home.
The Magpies plugged the gaps leading up to half time and United came out in determined move from their half time team talk as they tried to get back into the game.
A Cadamarteri cross had Bialkowski scrambling and Berrett tried to finish off another low pass from the United livewire as County defended in numbers.
Former-favourite Francois Zoko made the job even harder for the home side though when he pounced on a moment of hesitancy from Potts. He used his strength to break away before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing Mark Gillespie.
And it became a day to forget in the very next attack when Campbell-Ryce tumbled to the floor under pressure from Chantler. The big midfielder dusted himself to plant the spot kick into the bottom corner.
United picked the pace up as County invited the pressure but the shots were restricted to long distance affairs as Higginbotham and Simek tried their luck.
Substitute Liam Noble then picked up the mantle but Bialkowski was able to watch his attempts fly straight into his hands.
Berrett and Robson also kept the fight going but even a training ground free kick routine, which included a shot from Chantler, failed to raise the spirits as the fans trudged home with a horrible defeat to contemplate.
"It's one of those where we have to hold our hands up and say we were out-played and out-battled," Matt Robson said. "We have to apologise to the fans for that because it just isn't good enough."
"We're creating enough chances to win games and that's something which will come. Results like this are a learning curve for everybody and it's one where you have to analyse it without arguing about it. We win as a team and lose as a team and we have to make sure we bounce back."
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Goals
Notts County - Hughes (12), Bishop (27), Zoko (54), Campbell-Ryce (56 pen)
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Bookings
Notts County - Regan (7), Arquin (45)
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Teams
Carlisle United - Gillespie, Potts (Simek 62), Livesey, Edwards, Chantler, Higginbotham, Thirlwell (Noble 46), Berrett, Robson, Cadamarteri (Beck 62), Garner. Subs - Collin, Murphy, Welsh, Bugno.
Notts County - Bialkowski, Bishop (Eastham 68), Leacock, Liddle, Judge (Zoko 35), Hughes, Arquin, Campbell-Ryce (Nangle 77), Regan, Boucaud, Stewart. Subs - Sheehan, Showunmi, Mahon, Spiess.
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Referee - Mr Stuart Attwell
Attendance - 4,731 (265 away fans)
