Dan Kirkup was delighted with the way his Carlisle City side edged a tight game to defeat Carlisle United in the Fred Conway Cumberland Cup.

City claimed a 1-0 second round win over a young Blues side at Gillford Park to reach the quarter-finals.

Jordan Irving’s second-half goal proved enough and Kirkup was pleased with how his Northern League Division One line-up kept United’s teenagers at bay.

“It was a tight game, I think they dominated the ball but we probably had better chances,” said former United defender Kirkup.

“I can't remember our keeper really making a save. We had a couple of good chances and we didn’t take them, but I thought we kept in shape really well and probably frustrated them.

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Match report from Carlisle City's victory over Carlisle United

Carlisle United 0-1 Carlisle City - as it happened

“We worked hard and took our chance, and sort of killed the game from there. I don't think we were under any real pressure at the end – some games like that in the league you'd be really hanging on for your life with corner after corner, but it’s probably just the nature of the young [United] boys, they're probably not in that way of playing.

“There was nothing in the game, really. I was hoping we would just hang in and we might get something off a set play with how big we were compared to them.

“It was a bit of a scrappy goal, but we'll take it.”

City’s experienced non-league players saw off the threat posed by United’s under-18s team and Kirkup accepted it was a different kind of contest to that his side normally faces in the league.

“That’s probably maybe why we looked so comfortable – they sort of kept the ball and never really went anywhere, whereas if that was a league game we're under the pump, there would probably be long ball after long ball and you're defending and hanging on for your life.

“They’re made to play a certain way I suppose, the young boys, and that was probably it.”

City are now one of the highest ranked teams left in the competition, with United and holders Workington Reds now out before the last eight stage.

Manager Kirkup said City want to go all the way and emulate 2022’s success in the county senior cup.

“It’s an absolutely massive competition and something we target every season,” he said. “We want to win it.”

Kirkup admitted he was delighted the game was on amid pre-match uncertainty over the effect of the freezing temperatures on the pitch.

“I'm not going to lie, I thought it [the decision] was going to be in favour of being off,” he said.

“We were keen to get it on – we had one of our strongest teams of the season out, apart from Sam Smith missing, and that's why I was in the ref's ear [saying] it was all right…”

The sides through to the quarter-finals so far are Carlisle City, Penrith, Aspatria, Cleator Moor Celtic, Keswick, Whitehaven and Unisun Athletic. They will be joined by the winners of the rearranged Langwathby United v Wetheriggs United second round tie. Their meeting on November 10 was abandoned in the 55th minute after a serious injury to Wetheriggs defender Ronan Humphrey, who it was later confirmed had suffered a double leg fracture.