WES HOOLAHAN'S first-half goal proved enough to earn City a third straight League One win at Carlisle this afternoon.
In a keenly contested match it was Hoolahan's goal that proved the difference between the two sides as Paul Lambert's team moved on to 19 points and hoisted themselves into the play-off places after Swindon Town were held at home to Millwall.
The all-important goal came on 41 minutes when a ball out of defence found Chris Martin down the left flank. The City striker took a touch before sliding the ball into the box where the Carlisle defence made a hash of dealing with things before the ball fell to the on-rushing Hoolahan who tucked the ball past 'keeper Lenny Pidgeley.
After the match boss Paul Lambert expressed his delight at his team's performance: "Carlisle are a good side and we knew it was going to be tough but we've come through it and I'm delighted, we were excellent."
The City defence had to be on their guard, particularly during the final 20 minutes as the home side went desperately in search of an equaliser.
"The onus is on you as the home side, it is the same for us at our place. As good as we've been going forward recently we did it defensively today. Collectively as a group we were terrific."
City did have chances to add to their lead and avoid an anxious end to the match but Lambert remained thrilled with his players' efforts: "We've had a few chances and another given day they go in but the players have been terrific, a real credit to the Football Club."
Goalscorer Hoolahan returned to the side after sitting out the midweek success at Gillingham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and Lambert was pleased with his contribution and that of the other players who returned from injury.
"He had a knock in the last game (Bristol Rovers) and missed the game in midweek as did a number of them but they've come back in after not much training so this is a great three points."
Full-Time - A good win for City at Brunton Park this afternoon, wasn't always pretty but City dug deep to take all three points. Wes Hoolahan's first-half strike separated the sides, meeting Chris Martin's cross from the left to stab home. With Swindon Town being pegged back late on by Millwall, City move up into the play-off zone for the first time this season.
90+4 - Richard Keogh goes in late on Hoolahan and picks up a yellow card for the challenge.
90+2 - Stunning save from Forster. Doherty headed clear the cross, as far as Bridge-Wilkinson 25 yards from goal and he hit a first time shot through the crowd, which Forster sprung to his left to palm away, offside given as Dobie went looking for the rebound.
90+1 - Hoolahan is fouled just inside the City half, which will eat up more time.
90th - A minimum of four minutes of added time is signalled by the fourth official and another free-kick award goes Carlisle's way. Harte's delivery is overhit and out for a goal-kick.
88th - McDonald's first action is to be booked, wrongly in my opinion. The striker took a heavy touch and slide in to win it, which he did, all controlled along the floor. The free-kick from the right is delivered into the six-yard box and Holt meets it with a commanding header.
86th - Cody McDonald ready and waiting and he will replace Chris Martin for the final few minutes. Martin has worked hard up top on his own as Holt has looked to defend more from a deeper area.
85th - Holt enjoying a spell at left-back as City are being put under more pressure and Carlisle commit more bodies forward. Tom Taiwo is awarded the Carlisle Man of the Match.
82nd - Here comes the Carlisle change - Richard Offiong replaces Evan Horwood - left-back off, striker on. City change also being made, Tom Adeyemi replaces George Francomb, Smith goes to right-back.
81st - A great run down the left by Dobie to the byline and cuts it back but only two in the box for Carlisle, behind the pair of them and Russell can bring the ball away. Tom Adeyemi is being given his instructions by Ian Culverhouse.
79th - The hosts building up a head of steam like they did in the first half. Forster called in to make a routine save from a Dobie header. Richard Offiong is being readied below us.
78th - Doherty in well to block the dangerous Anyinsah on the left. Picture of Hoolahan celebrating the goal below.
75th - Hurst wins a corner off Drury. Great break from the corner by City, the ball won on the edge of the area and Holt broke, had runners left and right, ignored them early on and went at the heart of the defence, drew a defender and slipped it right to Smith, who saw his shot saved by Pidgeley.
72nd - Today's attendance is announced as 6,825 and Rob Green starts in goal for England.
71st - A trademark effort from Martin, in from the left, on his right foot, looking to bend one in the far corner, inches wide, corner given. The corner is headed half-clear to Holt who volleys over.
70th - Gareth back in the hot-seat after a second half stint from Pete Rogers, good to see he kept the lead in tact. Since putting Joe Anyinsah back up front in this second half, Carlisle have looked a lot more dangerous with his pace up against Doherty and Askou.
66th - Carlisle press forward and Kevan Hurst sends a shot into the side netting.
65th - The first change of the game sees Marc Bridge-Wilkinson replace Kavanagh for Carlisle.
62nd - Wes Hoolahan is the next City player to have a shot blocked for a corner as City search a second goal.
60th Korey Smith is the next to shoot for goal but his effort is blocked for a corner which the Carlisle defence clear with little problem.
59th -Chris Martin picks the ball up from Wes Hoolahan on the left and works his way forwward but his shot is both high and wide.
56th - Wes goes on a great run and carries the ball to the edge of the Carlisle area but is tackled just as he is about to shoot.
54th - The hosts force a corner as they continue to search an equaliser but the City defence deal with the flag kick.
52nd - George Framcomb's cross is met bu Holt but collected by the 'keeper.
49th - The game is held up for a couple of minutes due to an injury to Carlisle's Taiwo.
47th - Chris Martin works hard to pull the ball back to Korey Smith who fires his shot over the bar.
46th - City get things underway.
Half-times scores from League One - Charlton 0-0 Oldham, Gillingham (Gowling 16, Weston 44) 2-1 Wycombe (Woodman 27), Huddersfield (Novak 17, Rhodes 44) 2-0 Exeter, Leyton Orient 0-0 Colchester, MK Dons (Easter 32) 1-0 Walsall, Swindon (Cuthbert 15) 1-0 Millwall, Yeovil (Murray 45) 1-2 Brighton (Crofts 6, Dickinson 41).
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Half-Time - That is the half, Kavanagh's booking being the last incident. The goal came somewhat against the run of play but good resilience from City to ride out the Carlisle pressure and respond late in the half.
45th - Two minutes of added time to be played. In that Graham Kavanagh is retrospectively booked for leaving Hoolahan in a heap in an early move.
45th - Wes is almost in again but Harte is round on the cover. The Irishman is given space 25 yards out and has no hesitation in letting fly but straight at Pidgeley.
41st - Hoolahan...goal! Chris Martin down the left, crosses low, which Kavanagh has a swing at but misses, Hoolahan behind him, sets himself and prods home with his left foot. Cue weird celebration - Wes rolls down his sock, takes out his shin pad and waves it around, thought we were going to have a Facundo Sava Zorro mask or Jonas Gutierrez Spiderman type celebration for a minute but no just the waving of the shinpad!
38th - Dobie holds the ball up well inside the area, Anyinsah comes in and the ball pings about through to Forster.
37th - Bizarre little incident, as Carlisle sit off Doherty, the Irishman brings the ball out of defence unchallenged, hits a long diagonal crossfield ball towards Drury. Harte reads the pass and looks to head the ball back to 'keeper Pidgeley but Drury reads that and gets in, sliding in with the 'keeper. The ball pops out and Drury prone tries to stab the ball in but it rolls wide.
36th - Scrappy affair at the moment, whenever City pick the ball up, Carlisle organise themselves and defend with ten, just leaving Dobie upfield.
30th - Simon Lappin picks up a cheap booking for kicking the ball away on the award of a Carlisle free-kick, his protestations of not hearing the whistle fall on deaf eyes. Ian Harte again with the free-kick but harmlessly wide. Too many free-kicks being given away at the moment in dangerous territory.
28th - Like the city centre of Carlisle, it is one-way traffic at the moment, the hosts making all the running, Kevan Hurst with the latest effort, wide though. Carlisle seem to have switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation with the young Taiwo alongside the experience Kavanagh anchoring the midfield. The pacy Anyinsah and Robson wide, Hurst tucked in behind Dobie.
26th - Free-kick right on the edge of the area, Doherty adjudged to have pulled Dobie, given a yard outside the box. Kavanagh to take. Or not. Ian Harte, the former Leeds United set-piece specialist takes it left-footed, up and over the wall looking for the far corner, which Forster is covering but it clips the top of the bar and over. The two quick chances give the home crowd a lift and we hear from the drummer for the first time.
25th - Forster does well to save from Robson. The winger cut in from the left latching on to Dobie's back-heel and from a tight angle with the outside of his left foot smashed goalwards but Forster stayed big to save.
23rd - Straight up the other end Anyinsah carries the charge, strong, purposeful run at the City defence, Doherty forces him wide on to his left foot and his shot is over Forster's bar.
22nd - Great piece of defending from Tom Taiwo, the centre midfielder tracked back and went to ground to block Holt as he was pulling the trigger just inside the area on his left foot, Bristol Rovers found out how dangerous that left foot is last week.
20th - Joe Anyinsah has the first real shot on target of the match shooting from the edge of the area but Forster is able to gather low down.
18th - Doherty is penalised for a foul on the halfway line, he won the aerial challenge after some sustained pressure from City was cleared long. Only presume the referee and the incensed crowd saw him lead with an elbow.
15th - Francomb has to head a cross behind for a corner under pressure. The corner from Matty Robson falls to Ian Harte, who slids in with Forster and Smith and the big 'keeper from Hexham - not far down the road - is able to save.
12th - "There's nobody in the box" I exclaim but Chris Martin doesn't need anybody as he lets fly from 20 yards, over Pidgeley's bar though.
7th - Holt's deep cross from the right is missed by former Chelsea 'keeper Lenny Pidgeley and right-back Ian Harte chests behind for a corner. My colleague and co-commentator Peter Rogers points out Fraser Forster could do with a cap as the sun is so bright he is having to shield his face with his arm at times to see properly.
4th - While Grant Holt wins a free-kick on the pitch, the Yarmouth Yellows have a problem with their flag behind Forster's goal and are allowed to fix it to the terraces with the help of a steward.
3rd - Early appearance for physio SImon Spencer to tend to George Francomb, down with a head injury but the 18-year-old looks fine to continue.
1st - Carlisle get the match underway. City are kicking from my left to the right. Forster is out to the edge of his area to claim an early through ball.
The teams are out and so is the stuffed fox. Olga (anagram of goal) the stuffed fox is placed on the centre spot and the match sponsors place the match ball on said fox. Old tradition in these parts I am told.
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Team news from Brunton Park where George Francomb is handed his first league start of his career following his debut in midweek against Gillingham. Rhoys Wiggins is on the bench following his first City start also in midweek. Adam Drury starts despite being back in Norwich last night for the birth of his second child, a daughter - he flew up this morning to play.
CITY: Forster, Drury, Holt (c), Doherty, Hoolahan, Martin (McDonald 87), Lappin, Russell, Smith, Askou, Francomb (Adeyemi 82). Subs not used: Theoklitos (GK), Cureton, McVeigh, Wiggins, Daley.
Carlisle: Pidgeley, Horwood (Offiong 82), Livesey (c), Anyinsah, Kavanagh (Bridge-Wilkinson 65), Dobie, Robson, Taiwo, Harte, Keogh, Hurst. Subs not used: Collin (GK), Murphy, Rothery, Tinnion, Madine.
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Confirmation that the academy side have beaten Portsmouth 3-1 at Colney. Dario Dumic with the first from a free-kick, Danny Kelly with the second and a wonder goal from Josh Dawkin for the third.
Teamsheets should be with us shortly, but I can confirm Michael Theoklitos is here, Paul Crichton is warming him up at the moment on the pitch, obviously Rudd and Hughes are on international duty. City are also without the injured Michael Nelson, Michael Spillane, Matt Gill and Owain Tudur Jones. Simon Whaley is out on loan at Rochdale also.
The stadium announcer here at Brunton Park sounds like he is in a good mood, just welcomed the few fans who are here already to the ground on this sunny day and spoke of rainbows in the fountains, the only option is they have put something in the tea!
Today's matches see Charlton Athletic have the opportunity to go top, with Leeds United not in action this yesterday - called off due to international call ups - so with a big win over Oldham Athletic, the Addicks could go top on goal difference. Leeds were due to play Bristol Rovers, who sit in third. Fourth placed Colchester United go to Leyton Orient, MK Dons in fifth play hosts to Walsall. Swindon Town in sixth host Millwall. Huddersfield Town who have slipped to ninth welcome Exeter City to the Galpharm Stadium.
Two League One matches were played last night, Southamton continued their improved form with a 3-1 win at Southend United, while Hartlepool United drew 0-0 with Brentford. While on the League One news round-up, there were two managerial casualties yesterday, Tranmere Rovers sacked John Barnes and assistant Jason McAteer and Wycombe Wanderers parted company with Peter Taylor.
This morning saw the draw for the area quarter-finals of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy - City drew fellow League One side Swindon Town away, the tie is to be played the week commencing November 9. Full draw can be found by clicking this little link here.
Just getting word from Neil Adams that the academy side are beating Portsmouth 3-1 at Colney, it is heading into injury time there. Full report to follow a bit later.
Some City international action to report, Declan Rudd kept goal for England U19s in their 3-1 win over Finland. Nathan Delfouneso of Aston Villa and Jacob Mellis of Chelsea, on loan at Southampton got the Young Lions off to a flying start, Roope Riski pulled one back just after the half-hour mark but Tottenham Hotspur's Dean Parrett's - on loan at Aldershot Town - struck in injury time to seal the win.
Stephen Hughes' first senior international match has come to an end - having previously been capped at 'B' level. Scotland going down to two late goals in Yokohama against Japan. Hughes came on for Blackpool's Charlie Adam about ten minutes from time. Congratulations to both players for differing reasons.
Hello and welcome from Brunton Park for this afternoon's League One encounter. This is to be the main match on the Football League show tonight, 11.05pm on BBC 1.
To have your say on the match, simply head over to our 'Message Board' found under the 'Fans' tab and post your comments on the thread entitled, 'City v Carlisle - Official Thread'. To post on the message board you will need to be registered on canaries.co.uk, if you are not then complete this simple online registration form.
