What did we learn from Carlisle United's win over Port Vale?

1 RELISH MELLISH

There's much current talk, and with good reason, about signings and contracts. But Carlisle can be glad that at least one piece of important business was sewn up months ago.

Jon Mellish is in the early months of a three-year deal and there were further grounds to be glad of that on Monday.

His first goal of the season, and at League One level, came with great and dramatic timing as Carlisle won the game in added time.

Mellish is one of just two ever-presents in the league for United this season (Image: Barbara Abbott)

It capped another strong performance from a player who has handled the step up better than most at Brunton Park.

So much so that 26-year-old Mellish is an ever-present in the league for United this season – a tag only summer signing and fellow defender Sam Lavelle shares.

His 25 starts out of 25 have seen Mellish on the pitch for all but 47 minutes of Carlisle’s 2,250 in the third tier so far: an essential component, whatever else Paul Simpson chooses to do.

While United's manager has turned to his disrupting qualities as a midfield runner at times, the club’s longest-serving player continues to look most at home at the back.

Given his durability, general performance levels and clear potential to have even more impact on this stage, Simpson must be pleased he got Mellish’s signature on that summer contract when he did.

2 JACK IN THE BOX…

…or just outside it. Or delivering useful set-pieces. Or showing an adaptability and character that has earned him a long-awaited run in Carlisle’s side.

We’re talking about Jack Robinson, who has certainly taken his chance during this difficult winter spell for the Blues.

While the ex-Middlesbrough man has proved versatile in different positions lately, Monday was the first time Simpson has really preferred him to Jack Armer in orthodox territory.

Robinson was preferred to Jack Armer on the left - and contributed two assists in an influential showing (Image: Barbara Abbott)

He went with Robinson at left wing-back rather than as an auxiliary midfielder, and the summer signing and former loanee justified what might, given Armer’s appearance record and general contribution to Carlisle, have otherwise seemed a risky call.

While Mellish took man of the match honours against Port Vale there was certainly a case for Robinson, who performed intelligently in his left-sided duties.

The 22-year-old showed a keenness to come forward in the first half and, in United’s second-half comeback, was inventive enough to win their equalising penalty before the latest of his well-flighted corners set up Mellish for the winner.

After being made to wait a long time for a spell in the side, Robinson is now on 15 appearances this season and Monday was perhaps his most influential.

As well as his assists, he was, according to stats site WhoScored.com, the Blues’ most accurate passer as well as the man making more ‘key passes’ than anyone else.

He has taken to dead-ball duties particularly well, and if some of his low-flighted deliveries against Port Vale didn’t quite come off, there was always, as usual, a good whip and pace about them...and his cross for the winner was textbook.

Credit, then, to Robinson, who’s given Simpson a welcome selection decision.

3 COMEBACK CHARACTER

United victories have not come often this season but when they have, they’ve been delivered with a certain resilience.

Monday was their fourth win of the league campaign and the third which has seen them come from behind (the others being Bolton Wanderers away and Burton Albion at home).

The Blues earned their New Year’s Day result after following a well-constructed first half with some good gusto and character in the wake of Port Vale’s opening goal.

Dan Butterworth and his fellow subs injected some extra energy into the late fightback (Image: Barbara Abbott)

On this occasion United’s substitutions paid off with Alfie McCalmont, Dan Butterworth and Ryan Edmondson all giving the fightback a fresh injection of energy.

The next step, naturally, is for Carlisle to look like a side that can get in front and stay there.

One of the less impressive stats concerning this League One season is that they have only been in the lead for 111 minutes (plus added time) out of an available total of 2,250.

They have scored first in only four of their 25 league games, and won just one of them (Shrewsbury Town at home).

Carlisle, when it comes together as it did against Vale, have proved there is some spirit about them. Taking more control, more often, must be an aim for 2024.

4 IT’S A BREEZE

How impressive has United’s young goalkeeper been since he was thrown into the mix during the festive period?

Gabe Breeze deserves nothing but praise for the composed way he’s handled the challenge of being the Blues’ No1 in a difficult time for the team.

On Monday the 20-year-old tasted victory on his home debut and did his bit to contribute to that outcome with an important double-save when Carlisle were 1-0 down.

Breeze has made an impressive start to life in United's goal (Image: Barbara Abbott)

The stops weren’t necessarily spectacular, but Breeze certainly showed his alertness and agility – and, after all, United have too often recently suffered from a failure to do the routine well in that particular position.

It’s been, then, a good start for the young man from Penrith who, the stats show, has faced eight shots on target in his three matches so far, stopping five of them – and performed safely with duties not so obviously captured by numbers, such as dealing with crosses, kicking accurately and positively, and smothering moments of potential concern.

Whether he retains his place for the long run will depend on Simpson’s work in the transfer market, but for now there is at least a refreshing element to United’s last line of defence, as well as some renewed Cumbrian pride.

Breeze is the first Blues academy product to claim the No1 slot since Mark Gillespie, and the first Cumbrian to come through the youth set-up and become Carlisle’s senior keeper for any kind of spell since Tony Caig in the 1990s.

Adam Collin, the most recent Cumbrian to keep United’s goal, has spoken approvingly of Breeze and, at the very least, late December and early January must have assured Simpson he has a young player and, crucially, young character he can depend on and further invest in.