Carlisle United Football Club

A cross from Brough looked inviting as Carlisle attacked early but Asamoah couldn't quite get there as Newey muscled him out of the way. 

Northampton responded with a quickly taken free kick routine but Hanford was alert as Hackett's cross bent into his box. 

The game took an age to settle but the Cobblers should have taken the lead on 20 minutes when Hackett broke clear on the right. His deep cross was perfect for D'Ath but Hanford was equal to the powerful header as he spread his legs to make an excellent block. 

An incisive through ball again found D'Ath with time on the edge of the area, as the Cobblers stayed forward, but he hurried his volley and the big Carlisle stopper stepped across to complete an easy save. 

Chances were few and far between but Moloney thought he'd broken the deadlock when he cut inside and let one go from 22 yards. The Cumbrians could only watch and wait as it rose just past the angle of post and bar. 

That sparked a better spell for the home side and Hanford had to punch the ball behind at his front post as danger man D'Ath rode two challenges. He tried to squeeze it in from a tight angle but the keeper was there to intervene. 

Carlisle could have grabbed the lead just before the break when an inswinging corner found O'Hanlon on the move. His flicked header left the keeper for dead and he was relieved to see it skim past his far post. 

The Cobblers came out of the second half blocks quickly and back to back corners resulted in a goalmouth scramble as Cresswell got to a header. United eventually cleared and their break brought Corry in from a deep position. He pulled the trigger and his deflected effort had to be tipped wide by Duke. 

Moloney drilled one over from distance as he tried his luck, and an O'Toole nod down from a D'Ath cross had to be clipped off Carter's toes as he shaped to finish it off. 

A spin and run from Moloney was watched closely by Grainger and substitute Steven Rigg almost scored at the other end with his first touch. Duke plucked his looping header from beneath the bar.

Carlisle's resilience was made to count on 68 minutes when Dempsey weaved a direct line to the byline. His cut back had Kennedy and Paynter interested and the United new boy celebrated in front of the fans as he thundered it home from close range. 

The night got even better for the visitors with their next attack when Amoo floated a lovely cross into the area. Kyle Dempsey hung in the air and connected with an unstoppable header which ripped into the top left hand corner. 

Game management became the order of the day and Carlisle competently saw the remainder of the match out with little in the way of incident as the attention switched to celebrating with the noisy away contingent behind the goal. 

+++++++

Goals

Carlisle United - Kennedy (68), Dempsey (72)

+++++++

Bookings 

Northampton Town - Newey (65) 

Carlisle United - Young (75), Potts (83), Rigg (90) 

+++++++

Teams

Northampton Town - Duke, Moloney, Carter (Byrom 76), Collins (Bodin 73), O'Toole (Toney 68), Hackett, Gray, D'Ath, Taylor, Newey, Cresswell. Subs - Jalal, Diamond, Perry, Warburton. 

Carlisle United - Hanford, Young, O'Hanlon, Grainger, Brough, Amoo (Thirlwell 81), Kennedy, Potts, Corry (Paynter 64), Dempsey, Asamoah (Rigg 64). Subs - Spiegel, Buddle, Wyke, Griffith. 

+++++++

Referee - Mr Tim Robinson 

Attendance - 3,682 (195 away fans)