Carlisle 3 Peterborough 3

Peterborough maintained their fine run of good form with an enthralling 3-3 draw at Brunton Park this afternoon.

As Darren Ferguson predicted, it was always going to be a tough match against a team that made the play-offs last season.

Although I`d caught glimpses of Carlisle losing to MK Dons last week they looked a side that were well organised and able to more than hold their own against the best in the division.

Surprisingly, Ferguson chose not to start with the fit again, leaving him on the bench. For the visitors Danny Graham had caught my eye last week with his style being typical of an old-fashioned centre forward.

In weather conditions that were not the best it was to be the home side that took the lead when the aforementioned Graham netted with twenty minutes on the clock to leave us facing an uphill struggle.

Credit where credit is due though, the lads didn`t buckle and when Charlie Lee netted just past the half hour mark we were level.

Going in at half time, there was nothing to fear about the opposition, our lads were coping well and chances were being engineered with Boyd and Mackail-Smith looking very lively.

Unfortunately, the fist seven minutes of the second half were to provide us with a wake up call suggesting we should take nothing for granted in this division.

In the fiftieth minute, Danny Graham scored his second of the game, making it ten for the season for him and two minutes later we were trailing 3-1 when Graham Kavanagh, on loan from Sunderland, drilled home his first goal for Carlisle.

Ferguson made two changes bringing on the fit again Blackett and Morgan with Williams and Whelpdale being withdrawn. Four minutes later, with fifty-seven minutes on the clock, Aaron McClean was thrown into the fray to try and retrieve something from the game.

The hosts, far from looking comfortable at 3-1, were showing signs of hesitancy and some fine saves from their keeper were keeping them with a two goal advantage.

On the hour mark we got our noses back into things when Horwood was penalised for apparent handball. Mackail-Smith stepped forward and drilled the ball straight down the middle to reduce the arrears.

Despite going all out for the equaliser the ninetieth minute came and it looked as if we were to return down the A1 with nothing but four minutes into stoppage time Mackail-Smith latched onto a Lee pass to give us a share of the points and in doing so scored his tenth goal of the season.

Fair play to the lads for never giving up and showing that persistence is a wonderful trait.

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