Carlisle United under-18s were beaten 5-2 at the Sheepmount as Crewe Alexandra came from behind to win.
Goals from Reuben Towers and Finley Boertien wouldn’t prove to be enough as United’s unbeaten run came to an end.
Mark Birch made two changes from last week’s victory against Rochdale with Oscar Murphy, Jack Hodgson replacing Tai Bell and Will Rafferty, with the latter involved with the first team.
The visitors created the first change of the afternoon with Brad Robinson being forced into a top save to push the ball behind for a corner.
United would take the lead less than two minutes later from the penalty spot through Towers, who drew the foul and sent the Crewe ‘keeper the wrong way.
It looked as if the Blues had doubled their lead straight from the restart when Nathan Wheatley tapped home from close range, but the referee, with consultation with his assistant, awarded a free kick to the visitors for a foul in the build-up.
The Alex would pull the scores level just before the 20 minute-mark after United gave the ball away trying to play out from the back.
The visitors would complete the turn around soon after when the Blues failed to clear another dangerous Crewe attack.
Towers came close to grabbing his second of the match when he did brilliantly to control the ball from the sky, before getting his shot away, which narrowly rose over the bar.
HALF-TIME: Carlisle United 1-2 Crewe Alexandra
Crewe would come out of the blocks quickly in the second-half and would further extend their lead with a quick-fire double after some positive attacking play.
Olly Penney would be brought on with 15 minutes left to play, and made his first appearance in nine months after recovering from injury.
The visitors would get their final goal of the afternoon after a ricochet in the box fell to their winger, who was able to finish from close range.
The Blues would pull a goal back in the dying seconds through Boertien, who charged down a Crewe clearance which rebounded off him and into the net.
FULL-TIME: Carlisle United 2-5 Crewe Alexandra
Lineup:
Carlisle United: Robinson, Hatton (C) (Penney 75’) , Miller, Murphy, McDonough, Aaron, Towers (Harabasz 62’), Boertien, Wheatley, Hodgson (Cumersky 46’), Smith
Goals:
Carlisle United: (Towers 5’), (Boertien 90’)
Yellow Cards:
Carlisle United: N/A
Red Cards:
Carlisle United: N/A
