Carlisle run riot against high-flying Colchester

Posted Sunday, December 16, 2018 by PA

Carlisle arrested their slide in League Two with their best home performance of the season as they hammered third-placed Colchester 4-0.

After picking up just a single point from their three previous games, Hallam Hope’s first-half goal set the Cumbrians on their way and Jerry Yates, Jamie Devitt and Danny Grainger made it safe after the break.

Neither side could make the most of an early flurry of chances. Hope’s right-foot shot from 20 yards was tipped over by U’s goalkeeper Dillon Barnes and then Yates could only find the side-netting after pouncing on a defensive slip.

Colchester’s Mikael Mandron should have made more of a 12th-minute opening after a low cross from the left picked him out in the box, but he miscued his shot across the face of goal.

The game needed a goal and Sammie Szmodics nearly provided it for the visitors. His shot from Courtney Senior’s low cross was heading for the top corner until Adam Collin produced a magnificent fingertip save.

Carlisle grabbed the lead in the 34th minute when Ashley Nadesan drove a ball across the six-yard box and Hope was on hand to slide it home.

The home side doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when they broke at pace following a Colchester corner. The ball was cleared to Jack Sowerby who fed Yates and he in turn took a return ball from Devitt to fire past Barnes from 12 yards.

It was 3-0 five minutes later as Devitt swept the loose ball home after Barnes had blocked Nadesan’s initial effort.

A Luke Norris free-kick just wide was the best Colchester could muster by way of a fightback as Carlisle completed the scoring in added time with a 25-yard free-kick by Grainger.