FOREST GREEN ROVERS 0 CARLISLE UNITED 1 Cumbrians’ road win is so Rich-ly deserved
CARLISLE faced League Two’s bottom side Forest Green Rovers at the New Lawn and their one-goal victory does not quite tell the full story as they controlled proceedings from the very first minute.
Striker Richie Bennett could have had a hat-trick before he notched the eventual matchwinner.
Struggling Forest Green failed to register a shot on target all afternoon as they remain rooted to the foot of the table.
The home side sat deep and invited the Blues forward from the off and the visitors almost found a way through with just three minutes gone.
Hill sent the ball forward for Hope to chase and the forward pulled it back to Grainger having turned away from his man
The left back swung the delivery in and Collins spilled it as he mishandled badly inside his box. The goalkeeper recovered quickly before Bennett could pounce.
There was little on show in the way of attacking intent from the hosts but Carlisle went close when a Grainger throw was protected by Ben- nett. The big striker hooked the ball over his own shoulder and Collins was relieved to see it drop on to the roof of his net.
Rovers finally showed as an attacking force midway through the half when Osbourne strode out of midfield with the ball at his feet.
It opened up in front of him but his shot was always heading wide.
Carlisle should have taken the lead with the very next attack when Hill clipped the ball towards Liddle inside the opposition box.
A half-clearance fell nicely for Hope but, with just the goalkeeper to beat, he put too much on his shot and it skimmed to safety via the top of the bar.
The deserved visiting goal finally came with 28 minutes gone when Grainger floated a deep free-kick into the mix.
Striker Richie Bennett was left all on his own and he notched goal number five for the season with a thundering header which left Collins flapping at thin air.
The lead should have been doubled just moments later when a Collins mis-kick gifted Bennett with the width of the target to aim at.
He appeared to have done everything right as he chipped the stranded stopper but his bearings were wrong and it drifted past the upright.
It was all about United and they came again with a ball from Devitt which sent Hope on a run. He beat his man and forced a parry from Collins but Lambe was off balance and all he could do was guide a skewed volley over the bar.
Hope dribbled his way past
Laird to create another opening as the blue wave kept coming forward. His shot had power but it curled just the wrong side of the post.
United camped forward and Lambe left two in his wake as he angled his run into the area. His pull back was perfect for Bennett - but Traore was on the line to make an unbelievable clearance.
The second period saw Carlisle dominate possession, without quite managing to test the nets and a frustrating 45 minutes was summed up when Shaun Miller appeared to have the goal at his mercy when he trapped a low pass from Hope. He hesitated for a second too long and the moment was gone.
Centre back Tom Parkes ventured forward and was close with a stinger that flashed across the face of goal late in the day but in the end the solitary Bennett strike was enough to give the travelling fans their early Christmas present.