Peter Murphy came back in to the centre of defence for this big clash at the Galpharm Stadium with Jermaine Beckford, with one goal in his one appearance so far, keeping his place at the spearhead of the attack.

Huddersfield, who have been draw specialists on their own turf, had to go in to the game without 8 goal hot-shot Gary Taylor-Fletcher, but still with hopes of improving on their 2 home wins thus far. Ex-United hero Matty Glennon was, of course, in sticks facing the side he had served so loyally for almost 3 years.

The tackles were flying in from the first whistle with both sides trying to use width, though injury interruptions played the biggest part in what was a bitty opening.

Luke Beckett had the first shot of the day in the 13th minute when the ball broke to him 17 yards out, but Murphy did well to block it and allowed Hackney to complete the clearance as the home shirts tried to push forward.

Chris Billy was then required to clear after a Westwood parry from a Martin McIntosh free header threatened to drop nicely for the waiting Huddersfield gaggle. It had been a well delivered corner from Collins that brought the good moment, but the United defence stood strong under pressure.

The game suddenly sprung in to life from nothing when Simon Hackney miscued a back pass in the 20th minute leaving Kevin Gray exposed at the back. Luke Beckett was quick to pounce on the mistake and raced through on goal, drawing Keiren Westwood towards him. The big striker bided his time before picking his spot, slotting the ball beyond the despairing keeper and finding the back of the net.

Hackney almost made amends at the other end when he got on to a header from an Arnison cross, powering it beyond Glennon, but the Assitant's flag was up immediately to curtail the Cumbrian celebrations.

Hudson then tried his luck from 25 yards, lifting a ball high over the bar, but things were to get even better for the Terriers when Mr Singh somehow decided that a ball to hand incident involving Murphy was worthy of a penalty decision. Peter Murphy, Paul Arnison and Kevin Gray all went to have words with the Match Official but his mind was made up and Luke Beckett was able to crash the spot kick home in to the roof of the net, depsite a valiant effort from Westwood.

United tried to retaliate and Glennon had to tip a teasing, looping ball over his own bar as Beckford tried to make life difficult for him in the 35th minute, and Chris Lumsdon also drilled one wide as Hackney went on a mazy run in what was a better period for the visitors.

A huge clearance by Westwood on 41 minutes fell nicely for Hackney who, clearly fired up, volleyed an instant snap shot towards the goal, trying to catch Glennon out. As it happens, it turned out to be a forerunner for what was about to come as Lumsdon picked the nippy wide man out with an accurate pass. With very few options, and at least 28 yards out from goal, Simon Hackney got his head over the ball and picked the very spot in top corner that Glennon had no chance of getting anywhere near, putting the Cumbrians right back in to the game.

A sweeping move in time added on for the first half brought a corner as Gall, Hackney and Beckford exchanged passes in and around the box, only to see the final effort blocked on its route towards the bottom of the net. Peter Murphy came close from the resulting corner, missing a connection by the width of a hair as two defenders rose with him, but it was encouraging stuff for the visitors who looked determined to overturn the two goal deficit.

Half Time: Huddersfield 2 - 1 United

Carlisle carried on where they'd left off after the break, looking the more likely, as they increased their own tempo and won most of the 50:50 challenges.

Beckford used his guile to work some pace and linked with Hackney in their first attack, but the pair had to watch the cross curl behind Gall and Lumsdon who were racing in.

Westwood had to gather a hopeful home effort in the 52nd minute and was able to watch a 30 yard Young shot drift wide as the Terriers settled more, and Kevin Gall saw his first time volley drop wide when Glennon could only half punch clear a wicked Lumsdon cross. It was beginning to become all action in what was a good game to watch.

Luke Beckett was hopeful of a hat-trick opportunity on the hour point when he was fed through, and in between Murphy and Gray, but his first touch took him too close to Westwood and the Carlisle keeper was able to scoop it up.

United themselves had a great chance in the 62nd minute when Gall did all the hard work on the wing before sending what looked to be a perfect cross in to the danger area. Beckford was in close attendance but it was just too far in front of him and he couldn't get the vital touch. Cumbrian tails were up and they stayed on the front foot, winning a corner as Hackney smacked it through the bodies in hopes of a kind deflection.

Paul Arnison was next to go close when he ran on to a Gall lay off, putting his foot through the ball but sending it over as it started to rise from the moment it left his boot. Beckford then sent Glennon back tracking as Carlisle pounced on every loose ball, and the on loan striker had spotted the Terriers keeper off his line, but couldn't quite find the spot that was needed to level the scores.

It was all about Carlisle United and whether they could find the back of the net and it hadn't come much closer than Glenn Murray who, in the 77th minute, stretched and found himself inches away from getting his toe to a fizzed Aranalde cross that was begging for a Cumbrian touch.

Hudson and Holdsworth had to be brave in the 86th minute when substitute Derek Holmes found the ever willing Paul Arnison on the overlap, and the right back thumped a shot that would have tested Glennon, but the defensive duo did their job and got it away for a corner.

Thirlwell then won a free kick just a yard outside the box with less than 60 seconds of normal time left on the clock and the unlucky Peter Murphy was left gob smacked as his piledriver beat everything but the woodwork, and was hacked away by a desperate defence.

The Huddersfield net was leading a charmed life and Glenn Murray thought he'd got the goal in time added on when he made an inswinging Hackney corner his own. Glennon was nowhere to be seen and, had it been on target, it would have been glory for the Cumbrian born striker.

The final ten minutes had seen chance after chance for United and Thirlwell brought a wonder save out of Glennon in the 3rd minute of time added on after a sharp set of short passes opened things up. The midfielder had done everything right, but the keeper had set himself well and got down quickly to it.

The question that everyone was asking at the final whistle was, quite simply, how had Carlisle United come away from this one with nothing to show for it as they completely dominated the game and created by far the better chances. It's another that will have to be put down to experience, but the Referee certainly didn't cover himself in glory with his more than dubious penalty decision that gave the Terriers that all important two goal cushion. There's plenty of positives to take from this for the management team, but it was yet another harsh and undeserved defeat after another excellent football display from the lads.

Huddersfield - Beckett (21, 32 pen)

United - Hackney (43)

Bookings

Huddersfield - Brandon (83)

United - Thirlwell (39), Arnison (83)

Teams

Huddersfield - Glennon, Holdsworth, Hudson, N Clarke, Worthington, Schofield, T Clarke (Brandon 45), McIntosh, Beckett (Booth 80), Collins, Young. Subs - Rachubka, Abbott, McCombe.

United - Westwood, Arnison, Gray, Murphy, Aranalde, Biily, Lumsdon (G Murray 69), Thirlwell, Beckford (Holmes 83), Gall, Hackney. Subs - Williams, Joyce, Livesey.

Away fans - tbc