Carlisle United produced a composed and confident display to defeat Greystoke 4-0 on a cold night at Frenchfields Park to move into the quarter-finals of the Cumberland Cup.
Goals from Lewis Lambert, Will Rafferty, Josh Wade and Reuben Towers gave the Blues a comfortable win and progression in the county senior cup.
Mark Birch took charge of a young Blues side, which included Sam Hetherington, along with a mix of under-16s and under-18s.
The Blues settled quickly and created the first clear chance within two minutes when Amaru Smith met a cross at the back post but headed into the side netting.
Greystoke responded with a lively counterattack in the fourth minute as Tom Peile drove a shot just wide, a reminder that the Westmorland League side were ready to compete.
United soon took control, after a neat exchange between Smith and Hetherington, saw Lambert arriving in the right place to tap home the opening goal in the seventh minute.
The lead was doubled eight minutes later when Seb Mason threaded a clever pass through the middle and Rafferty calmly finished past Kelly.
Hetherington was given the opportunity to extend the lead with a free-kick on the edge of the Greystoke penalty area after Joe Banks had fouled Rafferty, but the set-piece was just off target.
Mason forced Mike Kelly into a good save from the edge of the area before Hetherington burst into the box in the 37th minute, and Rafferty lifted an effort over the bar shortly afterwards.
Just before the break, Will Hatton struck the crossbar with a powerful effort from the right flank as United pushed for a third.
HALF-TIME: Greystoke 0–2 Carlisle United
The visitors maintained control of the ball and continued to create clearer chances with Rafferty breaking through again in the 51st minute, but he was challenged before he could shoot, with Tonge firing the loose ball off target.
Towers soon went close at the back post, poking a shot wide, and Mason was denied again by Kelly after pouncing on a defensive mistake three minutes later.
Wade replaced Tonge in the 72nd minute and made an immediate impact just two minutes after coming on, arriving at the back post to turn in a cross from the right and give United their third goal of the evening.
United rounded off the scoring deep into the second half when Rafferty picked out Towers on the right and he drove a crisp finish beyond Kelly to make it four.
FULL-TIME: Greystoke 0-4 Carlisle United
Teams:
Greystoke: Kelly, Potts (Forrester 27), S Sinkinson (L Thwaites 74), D Sinkinson, Banks, Hansford, J Peile, Smith (Westgarth 60), Monkhouse (Renwick 55), T Peile, T Thwaites
Carlisle United: Worth (Robinson 81), Hatton, Hodgson, Rigby, McDonough, Hetherington (Bell 46), Rafferty, Tonge (Wade 72), Lambert, Mason (Miller 78), Smith (Towers 46)
Goals:
Greystoke – N/A
Carlisle United – (Lambert 7) (Rafferty 15) (Wade 74) (Towers 85)
Yellow cards:
Greystoke – (Banks 21)
Carlisle United – N/A
Red cards:
Greystoke – N/A
Carlisle United – N/A
Match officials:
Referee – Paul Stephenson
Assistant Referee 1 – Paul McDermott
Attendance:
415
