Verdict: Defenders step up for Carlisle United on eventful opening day against Colchester United

A giant sinkhole opening up just as Tristan Abrahams goes clean through? Shamal George growing two extra arms? Wrexham making a big-money bid for David Mitchell? This was Carlisle United, after all.

Thankfully none of the above took place, which was a good thing given how much else United had to deal with, what with vice-captain Aaron Hayden’s unexpected bolt for Wales, Zach Clough’s pre-match hamstring tweak and the ticket system issues that put kick-off back 15 minutes amid large queues outside Brunton Park.

When things did get under way, an energetic 0-0 draw played out in which those seeking the positives – a more forgivable intention than usual, in the disruptive circumstances – would have been drawn first of all to Carlisle’s central defensive two.

Defender Corey Whelan joins in a second-half Carlisle attack

Corey and Rod. They sound like a pair of children’s TV presenters. In reality, it was the job of messrs Whelan and McDonald to keep the entertainment levels down. That they did with a strong and timely display which made the post-Hayden future feel just a little less worrying at 5pm than it did at 3.15pm.

While Carlisle couldn’t apply a finish to lots of bustling attack play, the area of the team subjected to a sudden and lasting absence was, perhaps in most minds, the potential weak spot on Saturday. Reassuringly, it turned out to be the opposite. Whelan gave a measured and well-judged display on debut while McDonald, the older head, timed his interventions with the air of someone who knows it’s really time to step forward.

Players gather at the centre circle for a minute's applause to pay tribute to those who have passed away during the pandemic

Whelan is a Chris Beech project United’s head coach feels will bring broad benefits to the team. His versatility (Beech feels he’s a more natural right-back, even a sitting midfielder) has already got the Blues out of an unwanted tight spot.

As for McDonald, he appeared sharp and, to the naked eye, a little leaner than in his disrupted first season in Cumbria. The mark of a good defender is putting out fires before they’ve started, but in League Two a centre-back must also know how to reach for the extinguisher when the flames are flicking.

Other than one alarming moment when Frank Nouble squandered a Colchester sitter, McDonald and his partner did that. In the event it was in the attacking domain where Carlisle’s shortcomings were found: not so much in chance-creation, but definitely in finishing.

Whatever they recoup from Hayden, and however important replacing him will be, instinct says United are also still a striker light. There was gusto in some of their spells, notably the first 30 minutes then in a counter-attacking burst midway through the second period, but Carlisle did not deal with their best moments clinically.

Tristan Abrahams on the attack for United on his debut

George, Colchester’s former Blues loan keeper, was in fairness partly the reason the U’s took a point back to Essex. He certainly enjoyed a much more defiant day in the Warwick Road End goalmouth than he had on that hollow day against Stevenage when in Carlisle colours back in 2017. His saves at point-blank from Abrahams and Jon Mellish were admirable goalkeeping.

Otherwise, United had largely the better of things without that cold blood in the box. As far as 0-0s go, it certainly wasn’t dull and the 6,382 here (how wonderful it was to see and hear so many back) did get a lively contest for their money, which isn’t always the case on tentative opening days.

Brennan Dickenson, against his old club, left little in the tank with his left-sided efforts while Lewis Alessandra fired United’s best first-half chance wide. Colchester focused many of their efforts down Carlisle’s left and this coughed up one great chance when Freddie Sears squared for Nouble – but early-season rust was evident as the ball somehow hit the striker’s foot and went behind him.

What else Carlisle created, they could not quite find clarity. Mellish hit a low first-timer at George, who then saved a McDonald header. Alan Judge, who United largely coped with well, tested Magnus Norman late in the first half before Colchester slowed things down and made United work harder for their opportunities.

Ref Peter Wright books Jon Mellish for a foul on Alan Judge

When they came it was in a back-to-front spell, after the hour mark, that saw Dickenson go through but stumble under pressure, and then set up Abrahams, who (along with Mellish on the follow-up) was defied by George when seeming certain to score.

Other blocks, shots, corners and shanks filled the rest of things, while Colchester’s noisy 202 fans filled the air with blue smoke. All in all, 2021/22’s first hour-and-a-half had pretty much everything except a goal. Just another 45 of these, then – and goodness knows what else in between – to go.