Carlisle City completed a Northern League Division Two double when they won 5-1 at Newcastle University.
It was a creditable win, too, as the university side was in good recent form, unbeaten in five and with impressive wins over high-ranking opponents.
In the early stages, the City attacks were persistently falling foul of the offside flag.
However, in the 16th minute City went ahead with their first shot of the game. It was a fine strike from Holt who curled his shot around keeper Claxton from 20 yards out, for his fifth goal in the last four games.
City had a penalty shout rejected on 24 minutes after Simpson’s run took him deep into the home box, and there did seem to be contact by Claxton.
On 26 minutes it was 2-0 and the quality of the goals kept on improving as Palmer struck a sweet drive from fully 30 yards which gave Claxton no chance.
Holt was striking the ball well, and Claxton stretched to save another shot on the half-hour with the ball going behind for a corner.
City were close again as half-time approached with Atkinson’s well-struck volley going a yard too high.
Grandison was more influential in the second half and when he played a nice through ball to Palmer, it needed a good save from Claxton.
On the hour, a free-kick from Douglas just shaved the City post before bouncing wide.
Atkinson fired too high on 65 minutes before City seemed to offer the home side a lifeline on 68 minutes. A corner from the right was not well-struck but their most dangerous player Osiyemi was given space to score from close range.
There was then a further twist as another nasty tackle by Bowey on Kerr, saw him shown a red card.
In the 70th minute, it was 3-1 to City as Palmer’s cross was flicked in by Kerr from 12 yards out. Four minutes later, it was 4-1 as Palmer showed great composure to round Claxton before slotting in his 29th goal of the season.
In the 87th minute, Studholme’s cross was deflected for a corner, and Palmer’s fine delivery was headed in by a stooping Kirkup to make it 5-1.
Before the finish, it was nearly six but Johnstone’s effort was deflected onto the post.
On Saturday they travel to Washington, who this week set a new world record in their match with Bedlington Terriers.
Their Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup game went to penalties and it needed 54 before the tie was settled. After the shoot-out, lasting 45 minutes, Washington got through 25-24 – with only five missed.
It beat the previous world record of 48, set in 2005 between two sides involved in a Namibian Cup shootout. But that one included 15 misses.
