Goals -
0-1 McGill (63)
Another 'interesting' afternoon at the Racecourse as an all action first half gave way to a second 45 minutes which was dominated by the referee. Leading to a sending off for Wrexham substitute Simon Spender, a winning goal from the ensuing free kick and a last gasp missed penalty by Jon Walters!
Dennis Lawrence returned safely from America, ready to take his place in the Wrexham back line and in doing so delaying Paul Warhurst's debut in the a Wrexham shirt. While for the visitors, manager Paul Simpson restored himself to the starting line-up.
It was a swift break from full back Paul Arnison on the right, which saw him make 60-yards before launching a long cross field to the left that picked out former Cowdenbeath striker Derek Holmes. The Scot bringing the ball down inside the box and with time to control it before firing across Michael Ingham, forcing the keeper into a diving save away to his left.
Moments later the same player saw his chance from 25-yards and fired off a speculative effort that curled away to end up in the sun drenched Kop.
The home supporters were out of their seats appealing for penalty on 17 minutes, when Ferguson slipped a ball into McEvilly's path, but a tackle from behind saw the Wrexham man go down and the ball come back off an upright to spin along the line and then pounced on by a grateful Anthony Williams.
Carlisle then wasted a great opening on 19 minutes when Hawley escaped the attentions of Pejic and with just Bayliss back to cover as two blue shirts bore down on him. Hawley tried to slip a pass through the defender's legs, but Bayliss was alert enough to scramble it clear.
Wrexham pressure on 22 minutes ended with Lee Roche seeing his six-yard shot rebound off the legs of three Carlisle defenders back on their own line. Then straight to the other end and Hawley saw a clear chance wasted as once again Ingham came to Wrexham's rescue with another good save, going down low to block the shot.
It really was end to end stuff for the crowd and on 29 minutes Walters chested the ball out to McEvilly, who took it in his stride before unleashing an angled shot that the Welsh
From the resulting corner, Lawrence's header was juggled by keeper before he finally tipped it over the crossbar for another flag kick.
If Lawrence was suffering from jetlag, he was hiding it well and on 33 minutes was involved again, meeting a Ferguson corner from the right and seeing his powerful header hooked off the line by United captain Kevin Gray.
Seconds later Lee Roche headed for the sidelines to be replaced by Simon Spender, feeling his Achilles after passing a pre-match fitness test, along with Andy Holt.
The visitors responded with a low shot from Hawley, which deflected off the leg of Pejic for another corner, one which Ingham took high and held onto under pressure.
Mark Jones lined up a 25-yard shot that found its way through a forest of legs before hitting the prostrate Holt, left on the ground when the previous corner was only half cleared. It was then Holt's cross from the left that Walters met in the middle, but his glancing header was always a foot or two over the crossbar.
The prolific Hawley did well to hold off Bayliss and after nipping round the defender lifted a chip over the advancing Ingham, but the ball bounced across the face of the open goal before going behind for a goal kick.
After all the action of the first half, the second period was a little slower in getting going. A foul on Ferguson after 54 minutes saw him deliver the ball into the box and it was headed behind for a corner when Holmes got up to help his defence.
Out of nothing, on 62 minutes, substitute Simon Spender was red carded when he jumped in on a tackle with Adam Murray and in the melee that followed the referee actually dragged the player away before sending him to the dressing room.
The resulting free kick was palmed away by Ingham out to the opposite side of his goal, where Brendan McGill was free to side foot the ball home from fairly close range.
Shortly afterwards the limping McEvilly was replaced by Dean Bennett as Denis Smith switched to a flat back four, and then on 77 minutes it was 3-5-1 with Bennett going wide right and Levi Mackin coming on for Danny Williams.
A foul on Jonah gave the Reds another free kick close to goal and Lawrence once again rose high to met the ball, but on what was turning into a frustrating afternoon his header sailed high.
Carlisle looked odds on favourites for a second goal with five minutes to go, when Raphael Nade whipped the ball of Bayliss' boot out wide, raced 30-yards forward before squaring for his manager, but in the nick of time Pejic got across to block the shot and clear the danger.
With big Dennis thrown forward he showed his skills by getting onto the end of chip over the top and forcing a corner when surrounded by three blue shirts in the United box.
As the final minute of the 90 clicked up, Holt was robbed of an equaliser as his goal bound effort by Aranalde's boot, as the defender inadvertently deflected the ball over his crossbar.
From the corner, Lawrence was held down, a penalty was awarded and up stepped Walters to send a low shot to the keeper's right which Williams guessed right and pushed away for a corner.
It was the final nail in Wrexham's coffin and the whistle when loud boos as the home crowd let Mr Drysdale know exactly what they thought of his display!
Wrexham: Michael Ingham, Shaun Pejic, Dave Bayliss, Dennis Lawrence, Lee Roche (Simon Spender 34), Andy Holt, Danny Williams (Levi Mackin 78), Darren Ferguson, Mark Jones, Lee McEvilly (Dean Bennett 70), Jon Walters.
Subs: Michael Jones, Alex Smith.
Carlisle United: Anthony Williams, Paul Arnison (Peter Murphy 67), Danny Livesey, Kevin Gray, Zigor Aranalde, Brendan McGill, Adam Murray, Chris Billy, Paul Simpson, Karl Hawley, Derek Holmes (Raphael Nade 74).
Subs: Glen Murray, Simon Hackney, Kieran Westwood.
Referee: D. Drysdale (Lincs)
Attendance: 4,239
Away: 506
Sending Off -
Wrexham: Spender (62, dangerous play)
Booking -
Wrexham: Ingham (65, dissent), Jones (76, foul), Bennett (80 dissent)
