Part 38 of our weekly series charting Carlisle United's historic 1973/74 season...
The final countdown was upon Carlisle United: just four games left to realise their Division One dream…and still the outcome as close a call as you could possibly imagine.
The eve of Sunderland’s visit to Brunton Park even brought the prospect of goal average being needed to settle things come the end of 1973/74. Carlisle’s, 1.29, was marginally worse than that of rivals Leyton Orient, while Blackpool also had the better of the Blues in this respect.
None of that, though, would trump a team that could achieve decisive winning form over the last lap. First, for United, was a meeting with Bob Stokoe’s Sunderland, who had beaten the Blues at Roker Park days earlier.
If not an out-and-out promotion decider, it was certainly a game United sorely needed to win. The Evening News & Star hammered the drum for big support, declaring the need for a “big-mouthed, raucous, demonic choir” and an occasion to dash the “moaners and groaners” who reckoned the Blues were either unwilling or unable to make the last steps to the top flight.
A large evening attendance was anticipated, with club secretary David Dent urging fans to get to Brunton Park as early as possible so as to avoid a rush at the turnstiles.
In the event his advice was prescient, given that, come the night, some 19,692 supporters were packed into the ground: a new record for a league game at Carlisle’s ground, trumping the 18,764 gate for 1965’s Division Three title-clincher against Mansfield Town.
A strong Wearside following helped boost that number further and the occasion required United to step up, not shrivel, in front of such a big audience.
Carlisle had Frank Clarke back from injury and the Cumbrians certainly needed all their weapons at hand in what proved a tight and tense occasion. Sunderland started particularly well, their passing and movement impressive, Dennis Longhorn’s running catching the eye and Vic Halom a familiar threat, yet United’s defence was also on song, Bill Green especially commanding at the back for Alan Ashman’s hopefuls.
The best early opportunity fell to the Blues, when Jim Montgomery saved Bobby Owen’s header and the forward put the rebound narrowly wide. Clarke had a couple of near-misses while, at the other end, home keeper Allan Ross was watchful to deny Billy Hughes.
It remained anxiously poised at the break but it was Carlisle who seized things in the second half. Ten minutes into it, they made their decisive raid. Joe Laidlaw was the creator, breaking towards the box where he was upended by the future United star Jack Ashurst.
Sunderland’s argument that the challenge was outside the box was ignored by referee Roy Capey, and the penalty handed Chris Balderstone the chance to give Carlisle the advantage. With typical composure, he did so, firing beyond Montgomery’s dive.
Balderstone had, throughout, been a classy presence on the pitch, turning defence into attack with some consummate passing, while Peter Carr and John Gorman grew increasingly strong at full-back.
A chance to kill the game stone dead came when Clarke flicked on to Owen, but Montgomery’s athletic save kept Sunderland alive. Bobby Kerr tested Ross but found United’s No1 resolute, and while a late switch saw Dave Watson return from attack to defence, Stokoe’s side lacked the potency to deny United the win they so craved.
The game of huge anticipation and attendance ended the way Carlisle had hoped, the 1-0 victory seeing United fifth but level on points with Blackpool and Orient directly above them, Luton Town sitting second with the pack well adrift of champions Middlesbrough.
“From now on every game is important in its own right,” reflected Ashman. “It is all building up to a tremendous finish to the season, and it could be decided by our last game when we entertain Villa.”
United then prepared for a humdinger at Bloomfield Road. It was Blackpool next, and Carlisle’s supporters’ club were inundated with calls from fans seeking places on coaches to Lancashire. British Rail were also putting on a football ‘special’.
It demanded another showstopper from the Blues. Instead…it turned out to be a day which, at the time, threatened to have a terminal effect on their hopes.
In front of 15,777 by the Seaside, Carlisle performed reasonably in the first half but still found themselves adrift – and, by the hour mark, the sky had fallen in.
Blackpool and their star midfielder Alan Suddick had too much class for the Cumbrians. Although Carlisle came closest in the opening exchanges, when Laidlaw hammered the crossbar with a free-kick, it was the hosts who struck first when Suddick crossed for Keith Dyson to head home.
Clarke and Laidlaw were unable to take chances to get United back into things, and then Terry Alcock rocketed in a second for Blackpool from 25 yards. Ashman changed things at the break, Tot Winstanley coming on for Clarke and Balderstone moving into midfield, but United struggled to get past the hosts' west Cumbrian keeper John Burridge.
On 56 minutes it was three, Alcock heading home, and when Gorman was then penalised for a challenge, Suddick converted number four from the spot.
The 4-0 trouncing left Carlisle clinging on, hoping for favours from others as well as a better finish over their last two games, against Oxford United and Aston Villa. That cause looked even more daunting when it was confirmed that skipper Green would be unavailable for both, because of suspension.
It was now do or die, at the Manor Ground…
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