Peterborough United 6 Carlisle United 0

Mar 13 2011 Sunday Sun

PETERBOROUGH put Carlisle United to the sword with an attacking display which reinforced their promotion credentials and took their goal tally for the season to 82.

The writing was on the wall after just two minutes when Lee Tomlin released Craig Mackail-Smith with an intelligent pass. The cutback was perfect and Tommy Rowe finished it with confidence.

The home side were dominant with the potent frontline causing all kinds of problems with their movement, and they deservedly doubled their lead when right-back Mark Little curled a dangerous cross into the box.

The prolific Mackail-Smith muscled Simek out of the way to nod his 26th of the campaign past the stranded Adam Collin.

Carlisle felt aggrieved when Francois Zoko was tugged back as he strode into the box and the decision not to award a penalty was compounded when the Posh broke quickly and George Boyd waltzed through two challenges before clipping the ball over the advancing keeper.

The closest Carlisle came to breaching the Peterborough defence was a firm Peter Murphy effort from a Berrett corner that forced Joe Lewis into a diving save.

But it was largely one-way traffic with Posh throwing men forward as their confidence grew and grew.

Collin was the hero after the break as he saved a contentious penalty from Grant McCann, but the screw was tightened further when Liam Cooper was sent off for a second booking that looked extremely harsh.

Ryan Bennett put the game beyond doubt with a sweeping volley that ended yet another excellent move, and Boyd grabbed his second of the day when he waited for a looping cross to drop out of the air before completing a technically perfect volley.

With time running out substitute David Ball toe-ended a Mendez-Laing cross into the top corner.

The visitors were spared further blushes when Boyd spurned his hat-trick opportunity by drilling an injury-time penalty past the upright.

Carlisle boss Greg Abbott had no excuses as he pondered his heaviest defeat since taking the hotseat just over two years ago.

He said: “I’ve been on the end of two of these as a player, but this hurts more.

“I would hope that the players are feeling just as low as me because this isn’t acceptable at any level. I am at the top of the pile, but every player and member of staff has a bit of responsibility to take for this result.

“We now have to make sure that we put it right quickly because it is one that we have to learn from as much as we can. We definitely don’t want to see anything like it ever again.

“I don’t think Jose Mourinho could have done any better than this in these circumstances,” he added.

“We will not look for excuses, but everything that could have gone against us, and we have paid a very heavy price.

“Like I say, we have got a game on Tuesday night (against Plymouth) and we have to make sure that we are much, much better than this.”