Saturday 13th January 2024 ko 15:00

EFL League 1

CARLISLE UNITED 1 (McAlmont 71)

OXFORD UNITED 3 (Harris 39 47 Goodrham 67)

Att 7,827 (562 away)

Entry £23

Programme £2

I’d argue that the roots of my groundhopping lie with watching Oxford United away games, so Robyn wanting to visit Carlisle as part of completing her “92” felt like me visiting part of my past. Back in the day there were four of us who used to travel together, 3 of us sharing driving duties. There was Darrell, Russell and Michelle, who quickly became “Raz, Daz and Maz” in the eyes of my ex-wife who probably saw them as a neat way of removing me from the house.

These days Russell is married to my sister and is on committee at North Leigh, Michelle works for Oxford United as a Safety Officer, and Darrell is pitch side photographer. Darrell spotted us in the away end, and we reminisced for a few minutes before the game. The fact is that Carlisle away for the fans of any southern-based club is seen as a test of resolve, purely down to the distances involved.

And yet it really is just about the distance, long though it is. My view is that Brunton Park is easy to find lying just off the M6, and that Carlisle from Oxford is pretty much motorway all the way. I always found Norwich City away a far more daunting prospect, particularly pre-A11 dualling. I am, though very aware that I’m also the bloke who did Cowdenbeath up and down in a day!

That sense of resolve does tend to attract more than just the committed home and away fan. We’d organised to meet an old pal of mine Iain and his partner Fiona, who could forget our trips to the likes of Largs and Pollok? We left the coffee shop and there was Ben from Freeland asking whether I’d brought my infamous clipboard? Then there was Joe Gibbons, whose connections to Atherton Colleries proved to be the genesis of the North West Counties Hop. He’s moved to Carlisle and so we met up for a beer in the evening, good luck with the home improvements Joe!

But Brunton Park is more than just an exercise in doing a long distance away day, I’d argue it’s one of a handful of EFL grounds you simply must visit. Who couldn’t love the main stand and paddock? You might just spot that some of the seats came from Darlington’s former home Feethams. Then there’s the cavernous Warwick Road terrace with the triple triangle roof. As an away fan, unless your contingent is enough to make use of the open Petteril terrace, you’ll end up in a section of the newest East stand dating from 1996 but even there you’ll find a quirk.

When the stand was built it was meant to be the first stage of a complete redevelopment of Brunton with the pitch moving roughly 20 yards north. Since the development didn’t progress beyond the stand’s construction, it sits asymmetrical to the pitch, with a chunk of the away section not actually facing the pitch at all. Here 500-plus Oxford United were easily accommodated in the bit that does face the pitch. You do get the best of both worlds there, modern facilities but with the view of the old.

If there was anyone neutral there, it was certainly an interesting tie. Carlisle have struggled since last year’s promotion, and were second-from-bottom going into this game. They’d signed a slew of new players, including goalkeeper Harry Lewis from Bradford City. For Oxford two defeats in cups, conceding 9 goals had dented confidence, already fragile with an injury crisis and the recall by Brighton & Hove Albion of goalkeeper James Beadle to be sent out on loan to sit on the bench at Sheffield Wednesday. His replacement Jamie Cumming was signed on loan from Chelsea the week before this game.

Perhaps two keepers on debut is a recipe for a poor game, and the first 20 minutes were dreadful where mistakes were all that lead to chances that was uniformly blazed over or wide. It took a little controversy to break the deadlock. A corner was awarded following Lewis’ imperceptible touch from Mark Harris’ shot. Corner or not Harris’s clever finish following Elliott Moore’s nod back, saw Oxford’s confidence flood back.

The visitors doubled their lead early in the second half; again Moore and Harris combining well, even if Harris looked offside from Moore’s pass. The celebration was poignant, dedicated to winger Stan Mills injured, out for the season and back at parent club Everton. If Carlisle had any complaints about the first two goals then they could have had none about Tyler Goodrham’s cut in and shot into the bottom corner, something of a trademark for the irrepressible young winger.

And despite Alfie McAlmont’s late consolation which caused enough jitters for Cumming’s late save to feel significant the better side won and will have taken great heart from picking up three points as new players arrive, and injured players return.

As for Robyn and I we strolled back to Botchergate as the crowds slowly melted away. I walked remembering all that had gone before over so many years. The Carlisle jaunt was the beginning of so much that has followed.