Bradford City 1 Carlisle United 3

Jul 31 2011 by Mark Douglas, Sunday Sun

GREG ABBOTT declared his Carlisle United side ready for League One combat after they signed off a successful pre-season by battling back to beat Bradford.

Apprentice beat master at Valley Parade as Abbott masterminded a 3-1 victory over his former captain Peter Jackson – a fourth win of pre-season after notable defeats of Middlesbrough and Doncaster.

After Mark Stewart had given the League Two side an early lead, James Berrett scored a pair of sensational goals in the second half to maintain the momentum of Carlisle’s pre-season efforts.

And an enthused Abbott said: “I think we’re ready. We feel ready and we’re enthusiastic about next season.

“We’ve had some good results and we’re raring to go. If we get off to a start like we did last season, you never know.”

Of Berrett’s pair of stunners, the Cumbrians chief said it gave him a fine platform to build on when they kick off their League One season against Notts County next weekend.

He said: “He’ll probably never score three goals like that again in his career. They were three absolute belters – they would have graced any goal of the season competition.

“James is vital to the way we play. He got his fair share last year – 10 goals – and the way he’s set off he might be able to do that again next season.”

Ironically, Carlisle were second best for most of a testing first half after falling behind on two minutes.

Admirable persistence by City forward Mark Stewart paid off as he beat Frank Simek to the ball and rifled past a stationary Adam Collin to give the Bantams the lead.

The hosts then spurned numerous chances to build on their advantage with Ross Hannah the most profligate – the debutant thwarted twice by an alert Collin from close range.

Carlisle earned themselves parity on the stroke of half-time thanks to a wonderful piece of opportunism by Tom Taiwo, nodding home a wonderful Frank Simek cross against the run of play.

In response to a sub-standard first half effort Abbott rung the changes at half-time, but it was his switch in system that really seemed to do the trick.

Carlisle’s diamond formation sparkled and within nine minutes of the second half they were in front thanks to a stunning Berrett strike.

Striding forward from midfield, he was some 20 yards out of goal when he unleashed an unstoppable drive past Bradford’s on-loan keeper Martin Hansen.

The Cumbrians were much improved after the interval and should have scored a third when a swirling corner kick was headed narrowly wide by substitute Stephen Swinglehurst.

And then with 12 minutes left on the clock, the former Huddersfield midfielder repeated the trick – smashing a terrific goal from an almost identical spot past Hansen to sign off Carlisle’s successful pre-season in winning fashion.

Bradford’s best riposte came courtesy of the boot of substitute Jack Compton, who fired an angled drive after good work by the Bantams’ former Carlisle forward Nakhi Wells.

BRADFORD CITY (4-4-2): Hansen; Burns, Branston, Bullock, Threlfall; Mitchell, Syers (Wells 81), Flynn (Brown 86), Stewart (Compton 81); Hanson, Hannah (Rodney 69). Subs: McLaughlin, Oliver, O’Brien, Rowe, Green.

CARLISLE (4-4-2): Collin; Simek, Livesey (Michalik 46), O’Halloran (Murphy 46 (Swinglehurst 69) (Kavanagh 84))), Robson, Thirlwell, Taiwo (Noble 56), Berrett, McGovern, Zoko, Welsh (Loy 46). Subs: Gillespie.

Goals: Stewart 2; Taiwo 45, Berrett 54, 78.

Attendance: 1107 (127 Carlisle).