AFC Wimbledon 0 Carlisle United 0: The announcement came with due solemnity. Due to “unstable power conditions” in the local area, there would be no alcohol on sale at half-time. The Cherry Red Records Stadium harrumphed.
The interval duly passed with a faint murmur, there being no music playing either. No booze, no tunes, no goals – it was all very much in keeping with this time in the season when things typically become a little less entertaining, a sight more edgy.
We are not into the nervous nineties quite yet, but it should surprise no-one that Carlisle’s first draw for two months occurred at this sort of stage. The finish line is clearer than it was, prizes slightly more visible than before.
That applies to sides from the middle rump of League Two, such as AFC Wimbledon, as much as the Blues, as well as those at the lesser end of things. Ever so slightly, the focus nudges towards not losing games rather than winning them, to responsibility rather than fun.
Sometimes that applies psychologically. Sometimes it informs strategy. The longer things go on, nerves come more obviously into play. In summary: don’t be shocked if this is only the first of several full-blooded but also bloodless draws between now and May.
“A positive 0-0,” was Paul Simpson’s interpretation. He had good grounds for describing it so. Carlisle’s draw was the joint best result that the top five teams managed on Saturday. They retained third place, they ticked off one of umpteen long and challenging trips.
They kept clean sheet number 12 too, and avoided mishap against an energetically competent AFC Wimbledon. They didn’t score, or win, for the second consecutive game, but one glance at the rest of the division reminds us that we are long past the period when things are given in this tight, frenetic league.
Harrogate, the previous weekend, was a case of three points slipping through greasy fingers and through a grille, never to be seen again. Saturday was a point gained and safeguarded, even if Carlisle couldn’t make their general superiority count.
“It’s a strong performance on the back of a heck of a long journey,” added Simpson. United naturally need to make the most of it with two home games this week, but in itself this game offered decent evidence as to why Carlisle are up there among the contenders.
They limited Wimbledon, a brisk home side, to very little in terms of authentic chances. They spent quality time in the opposition half, through some consistent pressing and aggression. They looked what they are: highly capable, justifiably in with a shout of honours.
The flair, the moment of dash required to win it, was not there, nor the set-piece moment or scrappy winner. United will need some of those in their last 16. They remain, though, on the right lines.
Simpson’s selection itself reflected an acceptance of the reality of matters: Joe Garner into the attack alongside Kristian Dennis, a need to get some retaliation in first, a sense that a battle had to be waged before a game could possibly be allowed to break out.
The first few minutes offered little to dispute that reading. There was some frightful head tennis above a patchy-looking pitch. Carlisle battled, cleared danger, dealt with Wimbledon’s movement and deliveries from the left.
Diallang Jaiyesimi’s twisting and turning gave the recalled Joel Senior a few troubles but none that were long-lasting. Carlisle, as things went on, were impressive in their ability to keep the ball in Wimbledon’s territory, denying them the chance to break.
This was Simpson’s Blues showing their strongest competitive colours. Tomas Holy had to take command at a few situations, but none that disturbed you. United teamed up, chased and harried, went close when Dennis headed an Owen Moxon corner on target – Nik Tzanev athletically saving – and later Garner failed to get a deeper Moxon delivery on target.
These were hard-won chances at a time Carlisle, at the other end, had defended their box well. The refereeing of the pernickety Darren Handley also contributed to the sense that things were never going to hit a real flow, and after the break it was much the same.
This is also the point in the campaign when errors come with a higher price. Moxon, with a careless pass, almost cost the Blues but Ethan Chislett could not take advantage. Carlisle then built again, Jack Armer offering unending work down the left, Jon Mellish doing his best to barrel forward in support, both managers making changes after the hour mark, the idea of a stolen winner becoming more appealing as things went deeper.
Carlisle offered the more lasting rumble of pressure once more, and after the busy Jordan Gibson slid a cross agonisingly behind Dennis, they pinned Wimbledon with a series of corners. From one, Paul Huntington saw a shot tipped over, then Callum Guy was denied by Tzanev.
Later, Gibson couldn’t steer an Omari Patrick cross past the home keeper, and after that it was a case of coping with Wimbledon’s energetic finale, subs Ali Al-Hamadi and Saikou Janneh offering gusto from the bench, but the best of their offerings resulting in ambitious handball appeals and, at the last, a cross which the largely obscure Josh Davison shunted over the bar.
So ended a hard afternoon of big commitment and reasonable returns, in front of travelling support which, totalling 1,024, demands all the superlatives you can summon.
They will be needed many more times across what’s left of this tantalising, demanding three-month period. As, you have to imagine, will a few stiff drinks. So let none of the other grounds run dry as Plough Lane did.
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