Two frontmen with the initials PB were the talk of Carlisle United as the 1980s began to unfold at Brunton Park.

The Blues’ leading scorer in the 1979/80 campaign was Dubliner Paul Bannon, who had joined the club the previous campaign and had picked up 17 league goals with a couple of games remaining of the Division Three campaign.

Also making his name was a precocious 19-year-old called Peter Beardsley. He had been signed by previous boss Bob Moncur, having emerged from the famous Wallsend Boys Club in North Tyneside, and remained a key part of proceedings when Martin Harvey took the reins for the closing stages of 79/80.

Beardsley’s vibrant performances had seen him linked with big-club moves ,with Spurs the latest to be credited with an interest in the build-up to United’s home clash with Colchester.

Harvey, though, dismissed the speculation. “I like publicity for the club and it’s nice to think other clubs believe we have good players at Brunton Park,” the manager said.

“But it’s a bit unsettling to keep reading stories without foundation. Spurs are supposed to have ‘asked’ about Peter Beardsley. What does ‘asked’ mean?

“If the Spurs manager Keith Burkinshaw rang me and made a definite offer, I could understand it – but he hasn’t.”

Beardsley, for the time being, was a Carlisle player, and he returned from injury in time to face Colchester, who had been on the fringes of the promotion picture for most of the season.

United, for their part, were finishing strongly and although they had lost another influential PB – midfielder Phil Bonnyman, who left for Chesterfield in March – they got the better of their Essex visitors, largely thanks to Bannon.

Carlisle were without skipper Ian MacDonald to a knee injury, and the suspended right-back Steve Hoolickin missed his only game of the season, but the reliable Bobby Parker came back into the side and there was a carnival mood at Brunton Park before the final home game of term, as youngsters kicked autographed footballs into the crowd, and sponsors were treated to a buffet reception and cabaret.

Fans, meanwhile, were treated to a positive United victory. It took a while in coming, since Colchester were stubborn opponents and it made for a hard-working battle in the April sun.

Carlisle made early running through winger George McVitie, who saw a free-kick headed wide by Jimmy Hamilton, while Colchester’s Trevor Lee wasted a good cross which he nodded straight at Blues keeper Trevor Swinburne.

Steve Ludlam missed a further United opportunity, but midway through the half Harvey’s side applied enough pressure to force the breakthrough. Hamilton started a move with a cross-field ball and then arrived to meet it when the next delivery came his way.

Colchester keeper Mike Walker could only parry his low shot, and Bannon was there to poke the rebound home.

At the other end, Swinburne raced from his line to deny Lee and then Hamilton got back to clear danger in the six-yard box.

United then sought to build on their lead in the second half, with Beardsley to the fore. He was a whisker away from pouncing on a poor Colchester backpass, and then his flick put Bannon through, only for visiting defenders to race back and intervene.

Bannon missed another chance, and the game was now being largely played in the Colchester half, the visitors trying to contain further United attacks rather than stage raids of their own.

They did briefly rally when sub Bobby Hodge lifted their game, but Carlisle were the prevailing force and it was no great surprise when Bannon, finally, made things safe in the closing stages.

He was, again, on the spot to pounce at close range, this time when Tot Winstanley’s header from a left-wing corner landed in his path.

Bannon took his league total to 19, and his brace had also seen him past the 20 mark in all competitions.

Colchester had no reply and the 2-0 win, followed by a goalless draw at Sheffield Wednesday, sent United into the close-season in good heart, a sixth-placed finish (one spot behind Colchester) reflecting good work under Harvey, who was pleased they had gone out “on a high note”.

It was a couple more years before Beardsley was lured away, to Vancouver Whitecaps, while Harvey departed sooner, sacked after a poor start to the 1980/81 campaign and United turning to their former boss, Bob Stokoe, who duly led them back up to the second tier in 1982.

United: Swinburne, Collins, Parker, Winstanley, McCartney, Ludlam, Houghton, Hamilton, McVitie, Bannon, Beardsley. Sub: McAuley.

Colchester: Walker, Cook, Packer, Rowles, Leslie, Wright, Evans, Harvey, Foley, Lee, Cotton. Sub: Hodge.

Crowd: 3,702.