Jon Colmanreports from the New RecreationGround

Last updated 12:53, Monday, 01 December 2008

FA Cup first round replay: Grays Athletic 0 Carlisle United 2: Greg Abbott has sent a pretty strong gust of change through Carlisle United these past few weeks, but the Blues owe their place in the FA Cup’s second round to one of their oldest certainties.

Graham Kavangh, left, is mobbed by Danny Graham after scoring

It is, put simply, that if decent service is aimed in Danny Graham’s direction in the penalty area, it won’t take United’s leading scorer long before he reminds us what an efficient sniper he can be.

That’s why the most important thing Abbott did before this rearranged replay wasn’t to keep the door revolving on deadline-day at Brunton Park (Chris Birchall’s arrival was the caretaker’s third loan signing of recent weeks, as Josh Gowling and Luke Joyce took the outgoings tally to four). It was, in fact, to whistle Jeff Smith in from the margins and ask him to put some makeable chances at Graham’s feet or head at the New Recreation Ground.

These have been some service-starved weeks for Graham, who had gone eight games without a goal – most as a toiling lone striker – prior to United’s third attempt to hurdle their niggling opponents from the Blue Square Premier.

But in Smith’s capable performance down the left wing on his recall in the absence of Simon Hackney, and in particular the kind of measured cross that allowed Graham to snaffle a 27th minute goal, there was some quite convincing evidence of what can happen when you play to your most prolific striker’s specific strengths.

All this, and the account that follows, is qualified by the fact United were confronting a team who may descend from non-league’s highest division in a few months’ time. But the Cup is not without its particular demands on stages such as this, and what Carlisle had to do on this sharp afternoon in the south-east was first summon a performance of heavy industry and then try to reach for a few instances of League One quality to take them away from Wayne Burnett’s spirited troops.

Graham’s opening goal, a study in conviction from cross to finish, was the moment the Cumbrians attached craft to their graft. Graham Kavanagh’s poached second early in the second half was their other rebuke to Grays’ bluster, which kept United’s back line occupied at various stages but, significantly, only drew one save of note from Ben Williams.

These ties are often thankless days for sides such as Carlisle, when the public demand victory by a secure margin as a minimum for their ticket price. Tributes are spared for other, more demanding occasions.

But this protracted squabble with the Essex men has offered some serious threats to United’s pride, and it’s not wrong to applaud the character they have shown in finally spinning the tie in their favour. Even Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s misfired 70th minute penalty, which the midfielder battered against the bar, never looked likely to deny Abbott a third win from his five matches in charge, a period in which the caretaker has made John Ward’s scattered team noticeably tighter, more resolute.

That kind of quality was required to see off Grays’ early threats here – a Barry Cogan header, a 25-yarder from the same midfielder and a Rob Gier header, all off-target – while the hunger for combat which Abbott had demanded from his players was certainly exhibited by Kavanagh, who snapped into a series of firm tackles, one of which flattened Stuart Thurgood and drew a booking for the veteran loanee.

More of Kavanagh and his rising influence shortly. First, the account of Carlisle’s opening goal, after the Cumbrians had found some of their rhythm and started to threaten their non-league hosts through the clipped passing of Bridge-Wilkinson, the industry of Smith down the left and the additional input of Gary Madine, who was called up to partner Graham and duly gave United some extra attacking focus.

It was an urgent Bridge-Wilkinson pass which forced the throw from which United pressed for their first goal. As Grays retreated, Kavanagh returned the ball to Smith, whose measured cross from deep was matched by Graham’s telling run across his marker, and his perfect finish into the bottom right corner.

Bridge-Wilkinson then put an edge-of-the-area effort wide, and while Burnett’s request for Sam Sloma and Ishmael Welsh to switch flanks then caused Carlisle a level of discomfort, the next authentic chance was coughed up at the other end. But Madine was unable to convert Graham’s tempting cross, after the teenager had cushioned Smith’s pass out to his strike partner on the left.

The second half began with a startling Grays surge, which eventually saw Sloma curl a fine opportunity over the United target. But there would be no fresh headlines for the midfielder whose goal in this tie 10 days earlier was wiped out by his club’s faulty floodlights – since Carlisle were quickly able to release the steam with a timely second.

First, Richard Keogh won one of a series of stomping tackles, then Kavanagh drove forward and fed Madine, who duly slotted the ball out to Graham. The striker’s attempt to force the ball across goal was met by a couple of desperate blocks, but Kavanagh homed in on the bobbling chance and finally tucked it away.

Again, it gave decent reward for a fine shift from the relentless Sunderland man who, we are required to believe, turns 35 tomorrow. What it also did was throw the game open, as Grays went in more daring pursuit of salvation while United flew at their throats on the counter-attack.

On the hour, Jon Ashton’s lumbering strength got the better of Bridge-Wilkinson, and his pass conquered United’s offside trap (a fault for which Evan Horwood received a fearsome verbal blast from Abbott). Had Andre McCollin been able to apply a confident, right-footed finish to his speedy run, the tie might have been revived. Instead, his shambolic finish past the post gave you the idea this was highly likely to be Carlisle’s afternoon.

Amid Grays’ additional pressure, which saw the likes of Sloma drift into dangerous places but also Keogh and Danny Livesey attack their aerial supply with relish, there was almost a third for Carlisle, when Kavanagh pounced on Gavin Dayes’ sluggishness but crossed weakly at David Button, the goalkeeper.

Then, after Sloma had volleyed over Rob Gier’s centre from decent territory, United sped down the other end and forced their penalty, when Smith’s cross for Kavanagh struck Fabian Wilnis’ arm. But Bridge-Wilkinson first smacked his kick against the bar, and then volleyed the rebound home, recalling with instant frustration the law that another player was required to have touched the ball before he could take his second shot (a goal-kick was correctly awarded by referee David Phillips).

It was, however, the most minimal of reprieves upon which Grays were incapable of pouncing. Our business was concluded with a good Williams save from Welsh, a weak Kavanagh shot from a neat Smith pass, and then, moments from time, the welcome return of Chris Lumsdon to competitive action after more than four months of injury-enforced absence.

His reappearance in United’s season, along with the addition of Coventry’s Birchall on loan, ought to help turn the trickle of chances heading Graham’s way into a flow. That’s the way to accelerate Carlisle’s revival – a fact illuminated at a ground made infamous by the sight of lights going pop.