Disappointing that we did not take the tie to a replay after an improved second half performance. The real killer was the soft concession of the second goal after an individual error by McAlear in a period when we were well on top. In fact, both of the goals we conceded resulted from individual errors, the first by Doohan.
The first half was very poor and similar to last Saturday's performance. Carlisle started the game aggressively and pressed high and we struggled to cope, turning over possession too cheaply and failing to win enough second balls. We did not look comfortable in the 532 formation and had particular problems down our left side, where Gibson kept exploiting the gap between Jameson and Bristow. I have seen some criticism of Ethan above, and he was not great, but Jameson was the real issue. He struggled with his positioning and was rash and beaten far too easily. I just don't trust either Byrne or Jameson defensively.
We seemed to have weathered the storm and got a foothold in the game around the twenty minute mark. However, a mistake by Doohan, who parried a shot he should have held, gifted Carlisle the opening goal. All of that said, the team performance was poor in the first forty five minutes and we were probably lucky still to be in the game at half time.
In the second half we switched to a 442 and introduced Nevitt and McAlear and were much better. We actually dominated the half and played some decent football but, as commented above, the gift of a second goal, with McAlear giving the ball away on the edge of our own eighteen yard box, gave us a mountain to climb. To give credit to the players they continued to battle and deservedly pulled a goal back, and Carlisle were hanging on in the final fifteen minutes.
Individually, I thought O'Connor and Merrie had decent games and Davies looked very assured on his return, probably the biggest positive of the afternoon. I also thought Hemmings had a very good second half, getting the assist for our goal and putting in another wicked delivery which should have been finished. McAlear also did ok other than the mistake referred to above.
We obviously have a real issue with consistency, both within games and between games, but there was some encouragement in the second half performance. I think we will revert to 442 for a while now. To give credit to Carlisle, they are the best side I have seen this season, but the game was not the humiliation some were forecasting........