With the League Two title all but signed and sealed this important fixture was more about Stockport County and their battle to avoid the drop.
Any 1 from 7 sides came in to the 3pm round of kick offs with the possibility of Conference football looming over them, with the Hatters knowing that a win would definitely secure their own place in the Football League. Having said that, with things so confused at the wrong end of the Division, survival was possible even with a defeat.
Simon Hackney was drafted in to the 4-4-2 line up employed by Simpson, replacing the unlucky Chris Lumsdon who was nursing a twisted ankle. The Woodley Sports connection was a strong one on the field of play, as Hackney's ex team mate Liam Dickinson took a striking role beside Tes Bramble for Stockport. Simpson himself was on the bench for the visitors, making his last ever Football League appearance.
The Stockport fans were out in force and seemed determined to roar their team to success, kicking the afternoon off with an excellent gesture as they displayed a '12th man' montage using specially arranged cards behind the goal.
It was always going to be a frantic start in the electric atmosphere, and the livewire pairing of Jamie Ward and Adam Griffin set about their task with gusto.
With just 40 seconds on the clock a long kick from Spencer came to Taylor out wide. He crossed the ball in and Ward, breaking through, was too heavy with his touch, allowing Westwood to claim it.
The blue shirts of the home side were flooding forward, roared on by their eager fans, and they won a corner from Murphy in the 3rd minute as he tackled back to prevent a break by O'Connor. Griffin and Ward worked a quick one/two routine with the latter scuffing his shot wide when he had space in front if him, had he wanted it.
Carlisle have a knack of biding their time in games like this and they took their first chance in their stride in the 4th minute. Adam Murray placed the ball for a free kick and sent it to the near post, where Hawley had made a run. Ashley Williams did well, getting enough on it to put it behind for the corner.
County were attacking with pace and it took alert work from Westwood in the 6th minute to smother a Ward toe poke as the pacy attacking midfielder burst through from midfield. A neat pass from O'Connor played him in behind the defence the Carlisle keeper was quick, getting down at his feet and pulling off the save. The loose ball was quickly lofted back in to the area but Bramble was wild with his volley, sending it over the bar.
The Hatters were staying forward, pushing for the early goal that would help to relieve the relegation tension, and a Livesey half clearance in the 7th minute fell nicely at the feet of O'Connor. He smashed it early but a brave Gray block forced yet another corner.
Stockport will wonder how they didn't score less than 60 seconds later when Ward raced through to the bye line, evading tackles as he danced through. As he looked to have taken it too far he wrapped his left foot round it and fizzed it across the face of the goal, with both Dickinson and Bramble somehow failing to apply the finishing touch.
Another high ball in to the box on 14 minutes, trying to pick out the tall strikers, was met with a weak punch by Westwood and it almost cost him as Taylor found himself with a lobbing opportunity. 20 yards out, he was caught between placing it and going for power, and managed neither with a swing that cleared the crossbar by a long, long way.
Having weathered the early storm the visitors started to get forward more and it was a long kick from Westwood that brought confusion at the back in the 18th minute. Hawley flicked it on and Adam Murray, 30 yards out, had only one thing in mind as it dropped and bounced in front of him. With the United fans screaming for a shot he did just that, but couldn't find the target as he skied it in to the crowd.
Dickinson sent a 12 yard header straight at Westwood, when Bramble flicked on a Briggs throw, but County were losing their potency as Carlisle settled much more. The 24th minute saw some wonderful football all round when Murphy and Aranalde played some patient passes on the left of midfield. Hackney timed a run forward just right and picked a great ball to the far post that Glenn Murray was able to rise on to, 3 yards out. It looked a dead cert of a goal but Spencer was athletic, getting across and pushing it over the bar for a corner.
Glenn Murray put another header wide in the 32nd minute, this time from 16 yards, from yet another Adam Murray cross and Bramble had a good chance of his own at the other end when Robinson floated a deep free kick in to the area. Westwood punched at it through a melee of bodies but it came to the big striker, who was disappointed as he blazed a poor shot over the bar.
Peter Murphy has scored some crucial goals in his time at the club and his eyes lit up again in the 33rd minute after the Murray's had combined to open up some space. Carlisle's stand in central midfielder put his head over the ball and shot from distance, but Spencer was able to watch it all the way.
Aranalde survived a shout for handball against him in the 36th minute when a long goal kick bounced all the way through to him in his own area and Bramble put a 6 yard header wide from a Robinson corner as the Carlisle box came under a little bit of pressure once more. Jamie Ward somehow blasted a 10 yard half volley straight at Westwood as Gray and Livesey executed good blocks, with blue shirts all round them, and the Stockport man was on the receiving end of questioning words from his team mates as he spurned what was a good opening with the ball breaking to him in a central position.
County finished the half with an attacking flurry as Griffin broke loose, only to send his cross over the head of Dickinson. He refused to give up on the ball and tussled with Aranalde on the goal line before clipping a cross to the back post. Bramble won it in the air, but couldn't put the header on target, and the half ended all square with the League future of the Hatters still in the balance.
Half Time: County 0 - 0 United
It was a much more considered opening to the second period with Carlisle looking very comfortable, and it was they who would have the first shot on goal.
Glenn Murray battled for the ball in midfield in the 51st minute, won it and played it onwards to Hawley. He held it up, sending a reverse pass back to Murray but the 20 yard shot wouldn't stay down and Spencer was able to watch it over the bar.
Tes Bramble created a shot from nothing that brought a wonderful save from Westwood in the 55th minute when he capitalised as the defence stood off him. Billy had tracked back to make a half challenge but there was no follow up, and Bramble spun on it to unleash what was a forceful bullet. Westwood had to go to full length, putting a firm hand on it as it raced towards the bottom corner, and the ball ricocheted off his palm and eventually looped on to the roof of the net.
The resulting corner saw Briggs clatter a free header off the cross bar, and the loose ball dropped in amongst a gaggle of players. The quickest to react was the United stopper, who snatched it away from danger to relieve the moment.
Raff Nade came in to the fold in the 59th minute but it was another decent spell for Stockport who were growing in confidence again. An Adam Murray foul on Dickinson 24 yards out brought a shooting chance for Griffin, but it lacked the pace and power that would have tested the keeper.
Adam Griffin completed an impressive overhead kick on the penalty spot in the 53rd minute, following a Dickinson flick at the near post, but again it was easy for Westwood who was well placed to see it.
Things became more end to end as the game opened up and a long, high Murphy free kick led to a header on target from Aranalde in the 66th minute, that was immediately followed by similar at the other end when Briggs sent a Ward free kick wide.
One of the things on the Carlisle United fans wish list for this afternoon of play was a Chris Billy goal, and he won the ball in midfield using sheer strength in the 70th minute. Taking the defence by surprise, he was alllowed to run in to a shooting position but couldn't direct his left foot shot on goal. As it flew wide of the target he turned and shrugged at the Carlisle fans to his left, receiving a huge round of applause anyway.
Nade started to get himself involved in the latter stages and a quick interchange with Hawley in the 71st minute put him through on Spencer. A last minute lunge by Raynes was enough to send the ball for a corner, but the danger wasn't over yet. Gray got a slight flick on the Murray ball in and Livesey, unsighted, found the ball crashing off his forehead and away from goal as he got the header all wrong.
The incident was the forerunner to 2 minutes of end to end football as Ward went on a run, aiming for the heart of the defence. He was stopped in his tracks, but still managed a cross that Dickinson headed in to the arms of Westwood. Back in the Hatters area Nade had the ball robbed off his toes when a series of passes put him through. It was good keeping from Spencer that prevented him from rounding off his own unbelievable season in style.
Jamie Ward then hit the side netting after nutmegging Aranalde and that was to be the last real contribution that Stockport would make up front, as they seemed to lose their way in the pressure build up of the occasion.
It was Carlisle who would have the better of the closing minutes, and Aranalde was on the end of a very poor clearance just 15 yards from goal as the defenders made a mess of a Murphy free kick that was swept in to the box. The left back volleyed the ball towards the top corner and Spencer got a hand to it to keep his side in with a shout.
Arnison rattled an 82nd minute thunderbolt wide, with the fans willing him to burst the net as well, and Paul Simpson came on to make his last ever Football League appearance when he took the place of Simon Hackney on the left wing. He must have been visualising what would have been a wonder goal in the 85th minute when he took charge of a 30 yard free kick, but his connection wasn't the best and the ball was cleared on its route to the nets.
Simon Grand was sent on for the last 5 minutes with Simpson pushing for 3 points but the attention of the terraces had switched to the radio, with news coming through that Oxford had had a player sent off. As the final whistle blew there was a moment or two of hesitation, until confirmation came that Orient had scored a winner, sending Oxford United in to the Nationwide Conference after 44 years of League football.
The celebrations at the end were great to see, with Carlisle United crowned as Champions by a clear three points and with Stockport able to look forward to next season with renewed optimism. Both sets of fans were magnificent, and the mutual appreciation was a nice touch on what was a big day for both clubs. It has been a long, hard campaign and the team have earned their trophy and medals and, even more importantly, have taken this club in to League One. Next season won't be easy - but neither was this one, and with the same amount of belief, dedication and application then we won't be surprised if it turns out to be just as eventful as this one has been. I don't know about you lot, but I'm looking forward to August already!
Bookings
United - Billy (26)
Teams
County - Spencer, Briggs, Robinson, Williams, Raynes, Ward (Clare 82), O'Connor, Taylor, Griffin, Dickinson, Bramble (Le Fronde 76). Not Used - Smith, Ellis, Malcolm.
United - Westwood, Arnison, Livesey, Gray, Aranalde, A Murray (Grand 86), Billy, Murphy, Hackney (Simpson (82) Hawley, G Murray (Nade 59). Not Used - Williams, McGill.
Travelling fans - 2369
