Inside the Owen Moxon performance that highlighted his potential at Carlisle United

Indeed, as early as January there were English clubs monitoring the progress of Owen Moxon.

But during one fine February evening, the 24-year-old placed himself firmly on the radar of a host of clubs both north and south of the border.

READ MORE: Carlisle United give update on launch of new kit

For while Annan Athletic may have fallen to a 3-0 defeat in their Scottish Cup tie against Rangers, there was enough in Moxon's performance to suggest that he was capable of making a step-up.

Indeed, it's a game that Annan boss Peter Murphy highlighted as showing the midfielder's quality and potential; potential which has since seen him become Carlisle United's first summer signing.

But what did that game against Rangers show about Moxon and what he can bring to Brunton Park over the course of his two-year deal? We take a look:

A regular role

Moxon played in a deep midfield role against the Gers, featuring just in front of Annan's defensive unit.

It's that position where he has played much of his football this season, but you can hardly classify the 24-year-old as a defensive midfielder (his goal and assist statistics alone dictate that).

​READ MORE: Peter Murphy explains why Owen Moxon is ready for the step-up to Carlisle

When there is an opportunity to get forward and exploit space, Moxon looks to take advantage.

Even against Rangers, where much of his time was spent trying to nulify the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Steven Davis, Moxon progressed higher up the field whenever possible.

Data / Graphic: WyScout s.P.a

Upon unveiling the midfielder, Paul Simpson highlighted that his athleticism was a key attribute - and that's evident in his heat map from the Rangers game.

While Moxon unsurprisingly had to do his fair share of defending against a side thre tiers higher than his own, the desire and ability to get forward is clear.

And that's not an isolated trend. Look at the data from across the season and you can see plenty of touches in and around the area - with eight goals just highlighting the attacking threat he possesses.

​READ MORE: Scottish clubs Carlisle pipped to midfield ace revealed

But even if the space doesn't appear for a foray forward, Moxon can still be a real threat.

The pass below is the perfect example of how his distribution from deep can help a side, partcularly when they find themselves under pressure:

78.3% of Moxon's attempted passes in the 2021/22 season were accurate, and such precise and penetrating passing will be a useful weapon in Carlisle's locker.

Set piece prowess 

Annan's goalscoring opportunities against Rangers were few and far between, but it is perhaps indicative of Moxon's attacking threat that three of the seven shots came from the midfielder.

All three of his chances came from outside the area, and Moxon certainly isn't shy of trying his luck from distance.

Of the 15 goals he has scored over the last two seasons, the vast majority have come from long-range.

​READ MORE: Watch some of Moxon's stunning goals for Annan Athletic

And that's in no small part down to Moxon's impressive set-piece ability, which has seen him net several free-kicks this season alone.

The former Queen of the South man is also an effective provider from dead ball situations, having taken the bulk of Annan's corners during his time at Galabank.

Impressive work off the ball

While Moxon's technical ability is perhaps what will have caught the eye of many watching scouts, his work out of possession is equally impressive.

That came to the fore against Rangers, where a combination of tenacity, fine positioning and timely aggression saw him win back possession no fewer than 14 times across the 90 minutes.

Moxon is fairly dominant in the air too, having won 68% of all his aerial duels in the 2021/22 season - a statistic that WyScout suggests is better than that of any of Carlisle's current squad.

All of this paints a picture of a player with undoubted ability who, while potentially something of a gamble, is a calculated one.

But with two years in which to make his mark at Brunton Park, you wouldn't bet against Moxon making eye-catching showings such as that against Rangers a regular occurence over the next 24 months. 

​READ MORE: Simpson doesn't want to squander 'head of steam' made with fans