Cambridge United are beaten by Carlisle United

First-half goals do the damage to U's

Cambridge United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Carlisle United in the Sky Bet League Two at the Cambs Glass Stadium.

In the U’s first home game of the new season, Carlisle made the brighter start, and Ritchie Bennett should have given them the lead after five minutes.

The striker shrugged Leon Legge aside to bear down on David Forde, but with just the keeper to beat, he shot wide.

Bennett was then denied by Forde, but the visitors had the lead a minute later.

Luke Joyce did well inside the box and passed to Reggie Lambe at the edge of the area, and his side-footed effort beat Forde inside his right-hand post.

United then started to perk up and went close to equalising through Uche Ikpeazu’s 20-yard effort after 13 minutes, and they were back on level terms a minute later.

Jack Bonham fumbled Jake Carroll’s cross under pressure from Jabo Ibehre, and as the ball fell to Medy Elito, he was fouled by Gary Liddle to concede a penalty.

And Elito dusted himself down to make no mistake from the spot.

United enjoyed a concerted spell of pressure, with Ibehre going close in the box with a shot and then had a header cleared off the line.

But Carlisle regained the lead by half time.

Forde had made a good stop to deny Tom Parkes’ volley that had deflected off Bennett, but from the resulting corner, the U’s keeper tipped Tom Miller’s header on to the bar, and the ball eventually fell to Parkes to drill home from close range.

It was a far less eventful second half.

Berry fired an effort over the bar from 25 yards, while Carlisle’s Danny Grainger had a fierce free-kick from a similar distance palmed away by Forde.

United nearly equalised in the 84th minute.

A cross from Leon Davies from the right was met with a strong header by Ibehre, but Bonham got the slightest of touches to the ball to take it onto the underside of the bar, and it bounced kindly back down into the keeper’s arms.

Cambridge United: Forde, Davies, Taylor, Legge, Carroll, Elito, Deegan, O’Neil, Berry, Ikpeazu, Ibehre.

Substitutes: Mingoia (O’Neil, 66), Dunk (Elito, 66), Azeez (Davies, 84). Not used: Mitov, Osadebe, Brown, Howkins.

Carlisle United: Bonham, Miller, Ellis, Parkes, Grainger, Lambe, Joyce, Liddle, Adams, Hope, Bennett.

Substitutes: Cosgrave (Bennett, 73), Devitt (Hope, 86). Not used: George, Jones, Miller, Holt, Egan.

Bookings: United – Elito (unsporting behaviour, 52); Carlisle – Liddle (foul, 56), Parkes (foul, 76).

Referee: Tom Nield.

Attendance: 4,102 (away 364).