Salford City 0-1 Carlisle United: Jon Colman's verdict

Blues, singing. That was the sight, the soundtrack, of the day, all right. Blues losing their nut too. This is what we suffer it all for, is it not? A late winner, a surging away terrace, a few demented moments when everything is great, everything is silly, everything is peeve…

And Ben Barclay - doesn't do meaningless goals, does he? And it’s true that, by and large, he doesn’t do goals, period. But when he does…dear me. Seventeen months after heading Carlisle to Wembley in the play-offs, the defender added to his tally with the most important goal, comfortably, of United’s season so far here.

Which was the more rapturously received? Bradford, May 2023, naturally. But perhaps not by as much as you’d think. This diving header, in the 89th minute at the Peninsula Stadium, might rival it for importance if it proves what it will need to on this journey of many nervous steps.

It certainly gave it the full go in terms of drama and reception. Carlisle, having survived a rather flat first half, had built a reassuring period of pressure by the time Dominic Sadi revived a deep cross and won a corner.

Gabe Breeze, who kept his place in goal, makes a vital first-half save (Image: Richard Parkes)

Knowing what we know now, it feels scripted: right in front of those 1,366, right at the end of things. Yet the spontaneity of it was its magic. Harrison Biggins’ corner was exceptional – curling, pacy, right into the sweet spot of Salford City’s penalty area.

Barclay’s determination, his courage, did the rest. And what do you know? Teams that keep the back door shut, and have a set-piece or two up their sleeves, can win games. Sides that ride the tricky bits and show the necessary stamina, fortune and will have results like this in their reach, whether or not the sweep of their performance was good or fluent.

At a stroke – well, a couple of strokes, given the 3pm results that also fell for them – a four-point gap became one. Finally, the League Two table looked a degree less forlorn. And of course Carlisle remain 23rd, and that is a rotten position. Yet the knowledge they can tough out and poach a win ought to send a long overdue and reassuring message through the squad, and also inform the rest of the division that the Blues do have it in them, contrary to recent evidence.

Luke Armstrong puts his head in where it hurts against Ossama Ashley (Image: Richard Parkes)

Build on it they must, add the various parts still missing they must. But enjoy and maximise the feeling of this they also must. After the bitterness and disgruntlement of too many United afternoons, the scenes after Barclay’s goal and at full-time had the look of a bond being remade, repaired – or at least the first signs of such. “That was a rare experience for me personally, to see that emotion and passion,” said Mike Williamson, referring to the supporters’ active and potent part in the day. “I thought they were different class.”

Two consecutive clean sheets, over 90 minutes at least, is also encouraging. That this has coincided with Gabe Breeze’s arrival in goal is no accident, yet Carlisle’s baseline defending was also good against Wigan and Salford. The masked figure of Sam Lavelle was outstanding here and the home team, having been in bright recent form, faded the longer things went on.

A chilly autumn day began with a Mancunian set list and Blues fans piling into Salford’s small ground. Williamson restored Callum Guy and Luke Armstrong to his side yet the effect was, initially, modest. United were not impressive in the first half other than in their ability to get challenges in when they mattered, close to their goal.

In midfield, they were either bypassed or victims of sub-standard passing and movement, their attack was generally of limited threat while some of their play from the back was edgy too. Karl Robinson’s hosts got the ball forward, and wide, camping in United’s half, testing them with crosses. Chances were not immediate yet Ossama Ashley and Tyrese Fornah had sighters, while a Dan Adu-Adjei challenge on Haji Mnoga in the box looked risky, yet deemed fair by ref Ross Joyce.

Debutant Kadeem Harris takes on the Salford defence (Image: Richard Parkes)

United’s one first-half chance came on the break, skied rather wastefully by Armstrong after persistent work by Adu-Adjei and Sadi, and they could not disrupt Salford for long enough thereafter. Breeze saved well from Kylian Kouassi, Aaron Hayden blocked Francis Okoronkwo’s shot, Luke Garbutt aimed in cross after cross, Breeze was stretched by several of them, and then Harrison Neal earned his dough with a defiant block from Kouassi after a Breeze save had popped back out.

By the break Carlisle appeared industrious but lacking meaningful punch. At least, at 0-0, there was a basis. Salford lost the injured Jon Taylor at the break and his replacement on the left, Kyrell Malcolm, was quicker but less wily. United continued to defend their lines but gradually they began to get the measure of their opponents, who went unimaginatively long at a well-set defence.

Sadi began finding more consistent spaces on the break, orchestrating one attack which ended with Salford defender Stephan Negru just beating Armstrong to wing-back Jon Mellish’s cross. Substitutions then came, Conor McAleny instantly going close for Salford, Cameron Harper bailing out the hard-working but tiring Tyler Burey on the United right, Biggins also taking Guy’s place.

Ben Barclay's late header proves decisive (Image: Richard Parkes)

Yet a more eyecatching arrival was the later one of Kadeem Harris, finally available for the Blues after international clearance was received. In the inside-left position he offered some immediate zest and control, and this put Salford further on notice. Sadi had another chance, Hayden headed a Biggins cross into the side-netting, Adu-Adjei ran over the ball in a great position and if United were not yet able to profit from this work, the direction was at least positive, and more consistent than before.

And then, after Breeze had saved a Kouassi bobbler, it came: Harris’s attack, Barclay’s cross, Sadi’s retrieval, Biggins’ corner, Barclay launching himself through the limbs, chaos detonated. You then knew it was very much Carlisle’s day when, for once, an ex-Blues player failed to hurt them in added time, Cole Stockton blasting over the bar, before Joyce's whistle ended things – and, for the players, Williamson, the 1,366, there was no pain this time. But noise? Yes, you could say that.