Aldershot 2-0 Carlisle
Last updated on .From the section Football
Aldershot booked their place in the Carling Cup third round with a convincing win against Carlisle.
The visitors went close early on when Stephen O'Halloran had a header cleared off the line.
But Aldershot took the lead after Luke Guttridge chipped the ball to Michael Rankine who fired a low shot into the left corner of the net.
The Shots sealed it when Anthony Straker sent in a cross which Danny Livesey turned into his own net.
The victory earned Aldershot a home tie with Rochdale in the next round.
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Aldershot manager Dean Holdsworth told BBC Surrey:
"It's a tremendous result. I don't think it's the best performance we've had, and we've been better and lost. So football has a funny way of equalling itself out.
"But we'll take the result, we'll take the clean sheet and we'll take a goal from Michael Rankine who's earnt it. We'll take the confidence and hopefully push on in the league form.
"There's still loads more to come from Michael Rankine - he was at his best, out of his feet, sticking it in the back of the net. He's still raw, but we know he's raw. That gives me a lot of pleasure as I brought him here".
Carlisle United boss Greg Abbott told BBC Radio Cumbria:
"It's a big disappointment, the amount of work we've put in for people to commend us and then we throw in this one, it's getting frustrating as a backroom staff.
"They have to be responsible, we take the criticism, we take the pats on the back, we want to maintain an even keel and we keep having these blips.
"We sat for an hour this afternoon talking about what it would be like, what they'll be like, the importance of the game and the importance of the performance and we haven't been given that back on the pitch tonight."
