Carlisle United 0-5 Blackburn Rovers: Central League Cup report

Championship side Blackburn were dominant against Carlisle in the reserve game and won comfortably thanks to Amario Cozier-Duberry’s hat-trick plus goals from Igor Tyjon and Leo Duru.

Carlisle handed Jack Robinson his first outing as a substitute after his recovery from April’s ankle injury.

The Blues’ starting XI, meanwhile, included four pros, with Jack Ellis, Harrison Neal, Gabe Breeze and Anton Dudik all handed starts with the youth team otherwise making up most of the side.

It proved a tough afternoon for United who were outclassed by Mike Sheron’s Blackburn – who included former Rangers midfielder Todd Cantwell and others with plenty of Championship experience – and struggled to make any attacking impression on the game.

Mike Williamson, right, watches the reserve action with coaches Ian Watson, centre, and Chris Bell, left (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Blackburn fielded a mixture of youth and experience but with others from their second-tier first-team scene such as Joe Rankin-Costello, Kyle McFadzean and John Buckley all featuring.

Williamson watched from the B Stand along with his first-team coaches and a number of senior Blues players, such as Jon Mellish, Sam Lavelle, Harrison Biggins, Cameron Harper, Taylor Charters and Aaron Hayden.

They saw United line up with a three-man central defence of Ellis and teenagers Hayden Atkinson and Will Nicholson, with Aran Fitzpatrick left wing-back and Trent Chapman on the the right. Neal and Jonah Lowes started in the centre of midfield, with Dan Hopper and O'Donoghue wide of Dudik in attack.

Blackburn soon settled into the game and gained control of things early on, Cozier-Duberry an immediate danger with his pace on the right as Cantwell tried to break United’s defensive line.

Jack Robinson, left, made his comeback as a substitute (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Carlisle’s young side tried to play the ball out from the back, including from goal kicks, but the Championship visitors were quick to press them. Rankin-Costello and Matty Litherland went close with shots from outside the box before Cozier-Duberry fired narrowly wide and Breeze was called upon to make a close-range save.

It felt like a goal was coming and then two came along in quick succession for Mike Sheron’s side.

First, Tyjon got the better of Nicholson before finishing low across Breeze.

A minute later, Cantwell made a break down the left and after he cracked a shot over Breeze and against the bar, Blackburn retrieved things and Cozier-Duberry worked space to drill low into the bottom corner.

Carlisle struggled to make any attacking headway, Dudik doing well to rob McFadzean but his resulting cross intercepted, while a Hopper cross for Dudik was cut out.

Ex-Rangers man Todd Cantwell was in the Blackburn side (Image: Barbara Abbott)

In the main it was more Blackburn dominance, Duru denied a third by a last-ditch Ellis block and Cozier-Duberry then also thwarted on the line.

After the break, the visitors came close when McFadzean met a free-kick but Breeze did enough to deny Rankin-Costello.

But a minute later it was 3-0 when Cozier-Duberry found space on the right and he rifled impressively across Breeze and into the bottom corner.

Carlisle forced a corner when Chapman’s dangerous corner was put behind, but the Blues could not take advantage and Rovers were soon back on the attack.

Duru then raced forward for a Blackburn ball, bringing Breeze out of his box, the keeper winning the ball but then fouling the visiting player, United surviving the free-kick.

Freddie O'Donoghue on the attack for United (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Carlisle’s first change saw Sam Hetherington on for Dudik, while Cantwell made way for James Edmondson for the visitors. Fitzpatrick then needed treatment after an earlier knock, and was duly replaced as Robinson made his return at left wing-back.

Bobby Skinner for Ellis was another United change for the last 20 minutes, and then the Cumbrians conceded again, Brandon Powell’s footwork too quick for Hopper, who tripped the defender, allowing Cozier-Duberry to send Breeze the wrong way from the penalty spot to bring up his hat-trick.

Duru then arrived to convert a cross from close range to make it five and wrap up a comfortable win for Blackburn.

United: Breeze, Chapman, Fitzpatrick (Robinson 70), Ellis (Skinner 70), Atkinson, Nicholson, O’Donoghue, Neal, Dudik (Hetherington 65), Lowes, Hopper (Mason 83). Not used: Randall.

Blackburn: Toth, Duru, McFadzean, Litherland, Rankin-Costello, Buckley, Cozier-Duberry, Cantwell (Edmondson 65), Stritch (Bloxham 73), Tyjon. Not used: Khan, Doherty, Caddick.

Goals: Tyjon 16; Cozier-Duberry 17, 52, 78; Duru 82.