Carlisle United 13-0 Whitehaven Miners Social: Blues hit 13

A Blues team entirely made up of senior pros were ruthless against their part-time opponents in the county senior cup semi-final at Brunton Park.

Alfie McCalmont, Sean Maguire and Dan Butterworth all hit hat-tricks with Fin Back grabbing a brace and Jayden Harris and Jack Robinson also on the scoresheet in front of 530 fans.

The game also saw fit-again Josh Emmanuel and Ben Barclay make their comebacks, Emmanuel playing the first half and Barclay getting 78 minutes.

Miners worked hard throughout despite the gulf in quality and keeper Andrew Monaghan made a number of good saves to prevent the Blues’ margin from being even bigger.

United, 26-time winners of the competition, will face either holders Workington Reds or Maryport Athletic in the final.

The two teams line up before the game (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Carlisle’s XI was made up entirely of first-team players, with Emmanuel and Barclay included in the XI on their return from injury lay-offs.

There were also outings for Tomas Holy, Back, Robinson, Sean Grehan, Harris, Dylan McGeouch, Maguire, McCalmont and Butterworth.

Carlisle dominated proceedings from the off and after visiting keeper Monaghan denied Maguire, the first goal came on eight minutes as Maguire’s cross fell to McCalmont and he hammered home.

Four minutes later it was two as Harris squared for the arriving Back to convert his first goal in a United shirt.

Monaghan saved well to thwart Robinson but on 16 minutes Butterworth got the third after spinning away from a defender in the box.

And two more came in quick succession as Maguire controlled a Butterworth pass before rifling home, and then the scorer returned the favour by supplying Butterworth at close range.

Despite the obvious gulf in quality there was no let-up in Miners’ work rate or determination to compete with Carlisle, as a good interception from Ryan Doran denied Maguire.

A rare Miners foray almost saw Lewis Park beyond the home defence, but Back denied him, before Maguire fired impressively past Monaghan from the edge of the box to make it six.

A fine Monaghan save then kept out a Butterworth header but McCalmont then doubled his tally when his curling finish proved too much for the Miners keeper.

Dan Butterworth shoots for United (Image: Barbara Abbott)

It was 7-0 at the break, United replacing Emmanuel with Aran Fitzpatrick at the break.

And they soon resumed their scoring with three more in the first ten minutes of the second half.

McCalmont got his hat-trick in the 50th minute, firing home and unselfish pass from Harris, and two minutes later Maguire converted his own third goal of the night.

Back then doubled his own tally with a low strike across Monaghan at the back post, and Butterworth was the latest to claim a hat-trick when he tucked in a Back cross.

Moments later Monaghan saved valiantly from Maguire, who headed the rebound against the post, while the Miners keeper again impressed with a fine stop to deny McCalmont.

Anton Dudik replaced Maguire in the 63rd minute, before Park made a good break down the left for Miners, with his low cross just out of the reach of sub Brett Smith.

Miners then created a couple of genuine opportunities in the United box as Park just failed to fully connect with a cross from the right, before Smith’s goalbound effort was blocked.

United then brought up the dozen when Harris arrived to convert a corner from close range.

Barclay was replaced after 78 minutes of his comeback game, before another Harris shot was blocked just in front of the Miners line.

Monaghan then impressed again with good saves from a Butterworth free-kick and a Harris strike, as United kept attacking to the very end – Robinson converting a Back cross in added time to make it 13.

United: Holy, Back, Robinson, Barclay (Allan 78), Grehan, Emmanuel (Fitzpatrick 46), McGeouch, Harris, McCalmont, Maguire (Dudik 63), Butterworth. Not used: Barry, O’Brien.

Goals: McCalmont 8, 37, 50; Back 12, 55; Butterworth 16, 21, 58; Maguire 18, 32, 52; Harris 74, Robinson 90.

Whitehaven Miners: Monaghan, Woodend, Wilkinson, Doran, Sparks, Cardy, O’Pray, McNally (Davies 78), Thursby (Smith 53), Park, Lightfoot (Parr 53). Not used: Moore, Newbury.

Ref: Matthew Rogerson.

Crowd: 530.