Carlisle United 1-3 Woking: Cumbrians run ended by in-form Cards

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Carlisle United missed the opportunity to move top of the National League table as their nine-game unbeaten run was ended by a 3-1 defeat to Woking.

Victory would have sent the Blues to the summit, three points ahead of Forest Green Rovers and Rochdale – Jimmy McNulty’s men still possessing three games in hand, albeit.

However, after Junior Luamba put his side into the lead, Carlisle were pegged back in the second half, leaving Hughes’ men with a sting of what might have been.

The Welshman cut a frustrated figure afterwards, admitting the opportunity had been squandered.

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Under par

“We’ve just got to accept that on the night we weren’t good enough,” he told the News & Star.

“Too many were under par, too many players not at the level they need to be.

“The opposition had something to fight for, on the back of a really good run themselves, so it was never an easy fixture.

“But we got what we deserved because we didn’t deserve anything out of the game.”

Match action

Chris Conn-Clarke struck the post in the opening minutes as in-form Carlisle started on the front foot.

And Hughes’ side were ahead after 25 minutes through Luamba, who was played in behind and finished coolly past Will Jaaskelainen before limping off injured.

Woking stunned the hosts with a quickfire double before the break.

Jamie Andrews got the equaliser in the 43rd minute with a stunning strike from distance, which cannoned in off the crossbar.

And the visitors were ahead in first-half stoppage time as Tunji Akinola turned in from a corner.

Aiden O’Brien added a third for Woking in the 90th minute as they made it 10 matches without defeat and moved up to ninth in the table.

Opportunity

Hughes didn’t hide his disappointment after the final whistle, admitting the performance had taken him by surprise.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” he added. “I thought we played well against Blackpool [in Sunday’s FA Cup tie], albeit the scoreline [a 4-1 defeat] didn’t reflect that.

“But on this occasion the scoreline did, in terms of the level of our performance.

“We were at home, with an opportunity to go to the top of the league and we weren’t able to take that opportunity.”

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