Carlisle United 1-1 Crewe Alexandra: Big match verdict

Clearly the Blues have covered some utterly necessary ground since the desolation of Cheltenham Town on October 26. Who, that day, witnessed a team and indeed a set-up that could be expected to guard its castle as well as United have in their six most recent matches?

So let it be acknowledged that they are where they are, not where they were, and that is good. It says Carlisle are more competitive, more in tune with the idea of being in games, of setting up the opportunity of taking something from them. The job of becoming harder to beat, the first task of any new regime in losing times, is being carried out with encouraging consistency.

Hence United are, for now at least, out of the relegation zone, not wallowing in it. You no longer fear the Blues as a side of questionable character that is on the brink of total, lurid collapse.

This can be said, indeed needs to be said, as the context for criticism. And grounds for criticism on Saturday there were. It was not an especially pleasing United performance on the eye, and a trio of draws, when all three games could have been won, raises the dominant question about their survival prospects here and now.

United celebrate Dominic Sadi's early opener (Image: Ben Holmes)

It concerns whether or not they know how to win, whether they have all the tools to do so. Taking an automatic promotion-chaser to the 81st minute, when you’re 24th, is not the day to go in heavy on things. Many sides have come off much worse to this Crewe Alexandra team in 2024/25.

The next step, though, is simply the one that must be taken, since a climb up League Two will not happen without it. We are now in December and certain of this month’s fixtures are of a different feel, where victory will be regarded as more realistic.

Let the devil, then, enter the building. Let Carlisle grow into a team capable of inflicting more damage. Let them answer the query as to whether they have enough of this stuff in their squad, whatever else is solidifying elsewhere in the XI.

At present this is an improved side growing into its shape and system, with one or two individuals starting to thrive (Sam Lavelle was head, shoulders and mask above anyone else on Saturday) but also having to graft to conceal its flaws. Said graft kept Crewe at the gates until Georgie Kelly’s unnecessary challenge gave Lee Bell’s side a penalty, a point.

“It came from a good place,” said Mike Williamson on his substitute striker’s tackle. That place was an exuberant desire to impact the game, to help United fight their corner. Instead the moment required a grooved composure lacking in a just-returned striker who has had to bite his fist on the sidelines for two long months.

Callum Guy on the ball for United (Image: Ben Holmes)

Otherwise, Carlisle gained marks for a sharp start, an early goal and their baseline defending when their passing game grew frayed. On a still, grey, mild day, United’s cloudburst came inside two minutes when a sharp incision by Kadeem Harris led to a free-kick, the second phase of which saw good hold-up play by Lavelle, a canny cross by Cameron Harper, a deft headed lay-off by Aaron Hayden and a gambler’s shot by Dominic Sadi, who deserved the break he got as the ball deflected past Filip Marschall.

Williamson later floated the idea that scoring so soon may not have been perfect timing, given how United were suddenly obliged to reshape for a Crewe response. The visitors developed spells of possession whilst looking for the runs of Shilow Tracey over the top and if Carlisle pieced together a couple of lively attacks, Crewe’s football was more nimble, more positive.

Watchful defending kept it at bay, and United did not help themselves with some heavy-footed passing, Harper and Ben Barclay, recalled on the left of the back three, often the perpetrators. Crewe had arrived at Brunton Park in a confident mindset and United struggled to disrupt them high up the pitch. The Railwaymen’s route to goal, though, was largely restricted, Gabe Breeze’s save from Jack Lankester a rare tremor. The Blues’ play from the back was never smooth and numerous times it required Lavelle to be in the right place, whether centrally or wider.

The second half was a changeable thing, seldom settled, altered by substitutions, United’s time in Crewe territory seldom lasting. Crewe worked it wider, looked for more angles, put their press further onto United’s edgy play. Lavelle impressively denied Adrien Thibaut yet there was a growing case for the changes which eventually came at the heart of their side: Williamson’s three switches following a triple Crewe substitution, Jordan Jones among those introduced on his return from injury.

Daniel Adu-Adjei is denied by Mickey Demetriou's block (Image: Ben Holmes)

He looked lively, positive, and eventually Sadi came back into the game in a right-sided position. One wondered if United’s day was unfolding happily when Thibaut, to pantomime cheers, tumbled comically onto his backside when failing to keep the ball in play.

But…no. A couple of minutes after Mickey Demetriou’s block denied Daniel Adu-Adjei, Crewe accepted United’s offer of a way back, substitute Kelly’s slide on Lankester ill-advised as the visiting no14 took the ball away from goal to the left. Lankester swept the penalty home.

At least United did not perish from here. Tracey should have done better when meeting a cross but the remaining chances were Carlisle’s, a couple of Jones crosses unrewarded and a 100th-minute Barclay volley clattering into Kelly. The Blues were close-ish, closer certainly than they were before this much steadier run. Yet now the crucial road must be taken: from being harder to beat to being easier to lose to.