What we learned from Carlisle United's win over Barrow AFC

1 DAY OF FIRSTS

It’s certainly good to be starting these reflections with some positive statistics. That’s what you get when things go well.

It was Carlisle’s first win of the season and their first league victory at Brunton Park since New Year’s Day.

For Daniel Adu-Adjei, a first goal for the Blues, and also the first of their summer signings to find the net, as well as only the young striker’s second goal in first-team football.

Dan Adu-Adjei opened his United account with the winner (Image: Ben Holmes)

At the other end, a positive day too. It was the first clean sheet Carlisle have kept at Brunton Park in the league in 20 attempts, the last one coming against Shrewsbury Town way back on September 2 last year.

A first, then, for Harry Lewis, who was well protected by United’s defence to the extent that Barrow didn’t get a single shot on target.

That Shrewsbury game, incidentally, was also the most recent Saturday which had seen a Blues win on home soil, until Adu-Adjei sent Paul Simpson’s side to the points against Barrow.

On the first day of the revamped Brunton Park being open on all sides, after the Piatak-led work of the summer – which saw the first inhabitants of the new executive boxes and the first supporters to sample the fresh Warwick Road End fan zone – it was, all in all, a good start back at HQ.

2 DYNAMIC DAVIES

Early days, still. But can we say, at this fledgling stage of 2024/25, that Archie Davies looks a find?

The wing-back once again gave a sharp performance on the right, where he was strong defensively and a lively outlet in attack.

By most metrics, Davies had a fine game against the Bluebirds. According to WhoScored.com, he made three ‘key passes’ – more than anyone else – while his passing accuracy was a high 82.4 per cent.

Archie Davies is off to a bright start at United (Image: Ben Holmes)

He was United’s most consistent tackler, along with Harrison Neal – they made five apiece – and was the most frequent supplier of crosses with eight.

A couple of dribbles also go on Davies’ stats, while the former Dundalk man also passed the eye test in how he remained so persistent in pushing Barrow back at times when the visitors were trying to establish a greater foothold.

Early days, as we say. But, in all departments, he’s off to a very encouraging start in what, last season, was often a problem position for the Blues.

3 STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

United’s victory and the manner of it does not mean all their issues are resolved. Certainly there remains a case for more creativity and finesse in the centre of their team.

Hopefully that will come in the transfer market soon.

Saturday, though, was clear enough evidence of at least some of the qualities Paul Simpson has tried to instal and improve this summer.

Aaron Hayden was part of a defiant defensive performance (Image: Ben Holmes)

The game was, in particular, evidence that a display of a certain muscularity can take you so far – and further if the other side are unable to match up.

In the first half that was very much the case, Carlisle getting on top of Barrow territorially by the sheer bite of their play, the aggression in their tackling.

An understated part of that period of the game was also in how little impact the visitors’ big frontman Emile Acquah made.

He appeared rather isolated for much of things but also knew he was surrounded by some imposing figures too. The likes of Terell Thomas and Aaron Hayden – plus Ben Barclay, who did a good aerial screening job in front of the defence at this stage – were never going to allow a large frontman to dominate them.

Acquah won three of his headed contests but nowhere that troubled the Blues, whose centre-halves prevailed in more, and duly denied Barrow an early platform. The visitors looked a greater threat later when the more mobile Ged Garner was on, and when there was slightly greater accent on invention, with Connor Mahoney a skilful customer on the right.

As much as the Bluebirds had other potential creators on from the start, had they gone down a more progressive road earlier, things could have been more testing – but Carlisle certainly showed they’re up for a battle, and can win one.

4 FEELING GOOD

As much as it’s the numbers and the points that count, some things cannot be so easily measured.

In those respects it’s how things feel – and how it might make certain people feel for the longer run.

In Paul Simpson’s case, this was certainly an urgently-needed result. How urgent, we do not know. But it’s not difficult to imagine the bloodletting that would have followed defeat, how many more people might have considered certain things a lost or losing cause.

Harry Lewis was well protected but also made some reassuring contributions en route to his first Brunton Park clean sheet (Image: Ben Holmes)

In Harry Lewis’s case, an afternoon of flaws in goal would have put even more scrutiny on the goalkeeping position. Had Carlisle lost their advantage to defensive missteps after Sam Lavelle replaced the injured Terell Thomas, there would have been little respite for the club captain.

This was, then, a very timely day for all concerned. It eases at least a little of the early-season pressure on Simpson, allows United to build with a touch more clarity on a better day.

Lewis has his first Brunton Park clean sheet and made enough reassuring contributions here to earn it, even if he wasn’t peppered with shots.

Lavelle had plenty of defending and organising to do in the rearguard sections of the game and the record says he did this more than adequately – and Barrow getting behind United’s defence in injury time can hardly be said to count when they were offside.

That these happier things occurred very early in a season, rather than the scrambling latter parts when the (very) odd decent thing occurred in last term's run-in, ought to make all involved feel they can be part of a platform rather than a futile mission. The psychological benefits of Saturday ought to be as important as the numerical ones.