Carlisle 1 : 0 Tranmere Rovers - Amoo boosts Curle's Cumbrians

Posted Sunday, September 28, 2014 by PA

A second-half header from David Amoo earned Carlisle their first three points of the season as they saw off Tranmere 1-0 to end a dismal 15-game run since their last league victory.

New manager Keith Curle got off to a winning start in his first home game in charge although it was not sufficient to lift the Cumbrians off bottom spot in League Two.

Carlisle started purposefully, but failed to take advantage of early chances which fell to Mark Beck and Patrick Brough, then Brough again went close with a left-foot blast which cannoned off the bar after Bolton loanee Hayden White had squeezed in a cross from the by line on the right.

Tranmere had to wait until the 29th minute for their first real opening when Eliot Richards drifted into space deep inside the penalty area, only for goalkeeper Dan Hanford, making his Carlisle debut, to alertly block his close range shot.

The breakthrough for Carlisle came in the 72nd minute when Amoo got on the end of Danny Grainger's right-wing corner to steer his header past the diving Owain Fon Williams from eight yards.

Donnelly could easily have levelled for Tranmere soon after, but turned smartly on the ball in a crowded penalty area before lifting his shot high over from 12 yards.