Carlisle City manager Jim Nichols has been saying for weeks his side are ready to give somebody a heavy defeat – and it has happened.
City beat Pickering Town 6-2 at Gillford Park to end a run of frustrating results in Northern League Division One.
Indeed Nichols suggested that the only disappointment was it should have been more than six as City passed up a number of good opportunities.
In actual fact it was Pickering who scored first although it owed more to a huge slice of luck than any good play from the visitors.
On six minutes Josh Simpson played a ball back to his goalkeeper but it took a huge bobble as Lewis Boyd tried to kick clear and finished in the net.
Nichols said: “It was a horrendous start after we had dominated the opening exchanges but we were soon dominant and controlled the rest of the game.”
By half-time City had swept into a 4-1 lead with goals from Jordan Holt (12), Jay Kelly (18), Callum Birdsall (34) and Jordan Palmer (42).
They were 6-1 ahead by the 53rd minute but couldn’t score again despite creating a number of good chances, and the third goal of the half went to Pickering’s Jason Barnes in the 90th minute.
“We scored some really good goals but should have had more. Jay finished a really good team goal; Sam hit a cracker from distance while both Callum and Jordan put away really good finishes.
“It was nice to have Jordan back as he gets game time from Workington and his second goal was a bit special.
“I’ve been saying for a while now that we are going to give somebody a hard time when we finish well. I suppose it is a bit disappointing that we could have had more,” said Nichols.
