Carlisle United Ladies’ impressive run was halted on Sunday by GT7 Academy Ladies, who ran out 4-1 winners in Milnthorpe.
United came into Sunday’s game missing some key players, but still confident of being able to pick up maximum points in South Cumbria.
However, the Blues’ afternoon never really got started.
The opening knockings of the encounter were scrappy from both sides with Sarah Nixon coming closest for Carlisle on 8 minutes, when intricate play on the right side found Nixon in space but her shot was just over the bar.
It was the hosts who managed to get a hold of proceedings after that, and they made this count on 17 minutes to lead 1-0.
The first-half was one of few chances with nothing troubling United’s 'keeper, Emma Kenyon or the GT7 keeper until 42 minutes, when Carlisle managed to level the score.
Wonderful work from Kyra Matthews won United a corner and the resulting delivery was whipped precisely by Sammi Norman to find Bessie Best at the back post, who rose above the rest to find the bottom right corner.
Carlisle thought they had done enough to go into the interval on level terms, but the home side responded on 44 minutes to restore their lead, with a well-placed finish from the GT7 striker.
HALF-TIME: GT7 Academy 2-1 United
United were hoping for a better performance in the second-half, but their task was made even more difficult on 46 minutes, when GT7 made it three.
Kenyon made sure that it didn’t get any worse for Carlisle on 52 minutes with an important save to deny GT7 their fourth of the afternoon.
However, this wouldn’t be the case on 70 minutes, when after a spell of United control, an opposition counter-attack put the GT7 striker in one-on-one and she made no mistake to extend the hosts’ further.
Carlisle didn’t go down without a fight and worked tirelessly until the full-time whistle. Best went close from distance on 82 minutes and Chelsea Norris forced a diving save on 89 minutes, but United couldn’t make any further imprint on the scoreline.
A sobering afternoon for the Ladies, who need to bounce back next weekend when they face Abbeytown Ladies in the County Cup quarter-final at Wigton.
FULL-TIME: GT7 Academy 4-1 United
United: Kenyon, Scott, Norris, Best, Defreitas, Barbour, Murray, Beal, Norman ©, Riddet, Nixon
Substitutes: Matthews, Cleasby, Messenger
United goal: (42’ Best)
POM: Louisa Defreitas
