Coca-Cola League One
Saturday 24 March, 2007
Venue: Brunton Park
Kick-Off: 3:00pm

CARLISLE UNITED 5 GILLINGHAM 0

Carlisle United has scored four goals in the final ten minutes at Brunton Park, to wrap up a 5-0 victory over a 10-man Gillingham.

It was a very different looking Gills team making the long trek, with Brent Sancho taking the captains armband in the absence of the injured Michael Flynn, Dale Tonge and Felix Bastians both making their Gills debuts with Flynn and Andrew Crofts missing from the midfield.

The disjointed preparation helped the home side enjoy the first chance, as Peter Murphy beat Leon Johnson to a header on the near post after a good ball in from the left, and within the first quarter of an hour, the Gills were playing from behind.

Johnson gave away what appeared to be a 50/50 free kick after Mike Dean ruled he had pushed Luke Joyce just as he was looking to shoot, and Peter Murphy calmly slid the free kick under the Gills wall - which felt it necessary to jump - leaving Larrieu with little chance at the near post.

But the goal didn't exactly spark either side into feverish action, the Gills did enjoy three corners in quick succession at one point but in truth that was through good luck rather than good management, and Dean McDonald had a shot cleared by Danny Graham after being the subject of a challenge which saw Luke Joyce's name added to Mr Dean's book.

Murphy saw a header go over the bar for the hosts, Danny Spiller saw a shot deflected and McDonald shot wide, as a less than pulsating first half wound down.

Derek Holmes shot wide to kick start the second half, while Mark Bentley could have levelled for the Gills after Danny Spiller won the jump to a good free kick in from Bastians, Spiller heading down for Bentley who over extended himself, and could only manage to clatter into the 'keeper after stretching for a touch.

Jackman charged down a Jeff Smith effort while Kevin Gall shot wide in what seemed to be a half with a little more excitement than the first, the Gills enjoying their best chance of the match on the hour, as Bastians forced Kieran Westwood into a well-judged one-handed save.

Mulligan saw a header clip the bar and a cross from Nicky Southall bounced off the post after Westwood got part of a glove to the ball in, but while Gillingham were pushing for an equaliser, their task would get a whole lot harder on 73 minutes, as Mark Bentley was sentenced to an early bath for a marginally late challenge on Zigor Aranalde.

From there on in it was nothing but the bleakest story for the Gills, Joyce making the most of some weak defence to head home a Jeff Smith cross on 81 minutes, Aranalde easily rounded his man and offloaded to Gall to slot past Larrieu two minutes later, while Sancho upended Johann Smith on 88 minutes inside the box, allowing Graham to make it 4-0.

Unfortunately for the Gills the horror show didn't end there, as the defence again opened up in injury time, allowing Graham to head home almost unchallenged, compounding one of the more miserable afternoon's of Gillingham's 2006/07 campaign.

Carlisle United: Westwood, Raven, Murphy, Livesy, Aranalde, Thirlwell (Lumsdon 85), Joyce (Vipond 88), Jeff Smith, Gall, Holmes (Johann Smith 77), Graham.
Subs - Howard, Gray.

Gillingham: Larrieu, Jackman, Johnson, Sancho, Southall, Spiller (Flynn 75), Tonge, Bentley (Sent Off 73), Bastians, McDonald (Ndumbu-Nsungu 66), Mulligan.
Subs - Easton, Chorley, Cox.

Bookings: Bentley, Johnson (Gillingham)

Joyce (Carlisle)

Sent Off: Bentley (Gillingham, 73 mins)

Attendance: 6,087

Referee: Mr M Dean (Merseyside)

Match Report by Glen Lauder