Penalty save protects City unbeaten run for Comforth

EXETER CITY 1 CARLISLE 0

BY NICK BEER AT ST JAMES'S PARK

THE John Cornforth bandwagon lost a wheel or two but kept rolling on regardless with a 1-0 victory over new Nationwide League basement boys Carlisle. The shin of Graeme Tomlinson and an inspired piece of guesswork from goalkeeper Arjan Van Heusden stretched Exeter City's unbeaten sequence to four games. The Cumbrians-managed by the brother of Ireland's former world super middleweight boxing champion Steve Collins-fashioned more than enough chances to chalk up their maiden away victory of the campaign. But it was City who landed the sucker punch and Cornforth who took another sizeable step towards assuming permanent control at St James's Park. Since the former Wales international took over as caretaker boss three weeks ago, the Grecians have dropped only four points from four fixtures and now stand just one win short of a place in the top 10. In the immediate aftermath of Noel Blake's departure three weeks ago, Cornforth adopted a calm and carefree attitude perfectly befitting his role as stop-gap fall guy. But he moved into serious contention for the job last week when he masterminded City's marvellous maiden away victory of the season at York. And as the temporary boss admitted after Saturday's victory, he was now in danger of becoming a victim of his own success. "I felt under a little bit of pressure today" he revealed.  "Football has a habit of kicking you in the teeth and if we had lost today, then everyone would have said the honeymoon was over because we'd lost the game. "I would like a decision to be made quickly one way or the other. "But this result can't have done me any harm-I've said that I want the job and I don't think I've done too badly." Carlisle boss Roddy Collins could be forgiven for cursing the luck of the Irish after his side dominated the opening 45 minutes of Saturday's contest. Collins has assembled a side of strapping six-footers whose lack of footballing ability is offset by a relentless workrate and an honest appreciation of their own limitations. Even so, the Cumbrians repeatedly prised open an Exeter rearguard hastily reorganised in the absence of crocked club skipper Chris Curran. Few would have begrudged the visitors a point had Peter Murphy managed to convert from the spot 10 minutes from time. But the flamboyant Collins who squawked around after the game demanding Cornforth's immediate appointment as manager-refused the helping of sour grapes offered to him during his post-match press conference. "Exeter didn't play like a team that was down at the bottom of the table," he said. "They didn't seem to have any pressure on them, they played some nice football and I enjoyed watching them. "We created enough chances, but we didn't put them away and when we missed the penalty, I felt that was our last chance to get the draw." With leading marksman Christian Roberts suspended and Steve Flack nursing an ankle knock, seasoned campaigner Sean McCarthy and rookie loanee Gary Birch formed a new-look City strike partnership. Curran's failure of a late fitness test on a sore thigh persuaded Cornforth to hand Alex Watson his first start since Blake's fatal final game in charge. And Grecians fans were forced to endure a nervous opening period of sustained Carlisle pressure. Steve Soley butted inches over from a Murphy corner before scuffing millimetres wide of the target following a precision pass from on-loan Sunderland winger Brendon McGill. Halliday shrugged off the challenge of Jamie Campbell before firing harmlessly across the face of goal and pocket-sized McGill saw his angled header diverted wide by Graeme Power. The balance of power then suddenly shifted back towards the home side, Roscoe nodding directly at Peter Keen from two yards out, the industrious Birch forcing the Cumbrians' goalkeeper into a pair of scrambling saves and Breslan's swerving effort brushing the side netting. But compact Carlisle swiftly regained control of the midfield, began shifting the ball out to dangerman McGill at every available opportunity and again looked the team most likely to break the deadlock. Halliday failed to make clean contact with Murphy's drilled cross from the right by-line following the visitors' sixth corner of the half. A fluent move fashioned by Barry McConnell and Breslan ended when Martin Barlow's vicious effort was charged down by Halliday inside the Carlisle box. But it was Cornforth and his men who trudged off at the interval with plenty to ponder. "At half-time, everyone knew they had been very poor," said the Grecians caretaker boss. "I asked them to have a bit more quality, a bit more composure, and more quality with the crosses. "They are a young team and a few of them can get a bit edgy when we play at home. But I would like the fans to get behind the team instead of some of them booing them off at half-time." Cornforth's interval pep talk had the desired effect City started the second period in far more determined mood with Barlow and Kwame Ampadu finally imposing themselves in midfeld. Breslan's electric break culminated in a fizzing shot that defeated both Keen and the upright and Carlisle's keeper palmed the ball away unconventionally when McCarthy's teasing cross homed in on the right boot of Birch. But it was only after McGill and Steve Skinner had both managed to screw inviting opportunities wide of the target that the Grecians finally forged ahead. Breslan's soaring cross touched down onto the head of Andy Roscoe and substitute Tomlinson bundled the ball home from a yard out for his first goal since the opening day of last season. The former Manchester United frontman limped out of the action just 10 minutes later following a crunching collision with Keen. And replacement Paul Read-making his first appearance in eight injury-hit months-nodded Roscoe's free-kick a foot over the bar with his first touch. Fussy referee Grant Hedley had already done his utmost to interrupt the flow of the game with a string of needless free-kicks and logic-defying decisions. Murphy then meandered into the area before tripping over Ampadu's boot like a drunken circus clown. Mr Hedley immediately signalled a penalty, waved away the usual appeals, delayed the kick still further while shuffling Van Heusden six inches back onto his line and finally blew his whistle. Murphy's nervy strike was comfortably pushed out by the Grecians glovesman, Graeme Power sprinted in to hack away and Carlisle's chance was gone. The Cumbrians rarely threatened in the final 10 minutes to leave them rooted to the foot of the table, City with their second consecutive victory and Cornforth's CV in even healthier shape.


Match details

EXETER
A Van Heusden, B McConnell, A Watson, J Campbell, G Power, K Ampadu, M Barlow, G Breslan, A Roscoe, S McCarthy, G Birch. Substitutes: S Fraser, P Buckle (for Breslan, 85 mins), M Burrows, G Tomlinson (McCarthy, 59), P Read (Tomlinson, 75).

CARLISLE:
P Keen, M Birch, S Whitehead, D Morley, M Winstanley, S Soley, D Rogers, P Murphy, B McGill, R Foran, S Halliday. Substitutes: L Weaver, M Galloway, C McAughtrie (Birch, 85), M Jack (Soley, 68), S Skinner (Foran, 55).

GOALS:
Graeme Tomlinson 65 (1-0)
BOOKED:
Birch, Rogers, Winstanley (Carlisle)

SHOTS ON TARGET:
Exeter 6, Carlisle 4
CORNERS: Exeter 4, Carlisle 11 OFFSIDES: Exeter 2, Carlisle 6
FOULS: Exeter 17, Carlisle 22

ATTENDANCE: 3,151

REFEREE:
Grant Hegley (Bishops Stortford)