The fans who had vowed never to return during Michael Knighton’s tenure packed Brunton Park to the rafters with almost 11,000 joining the carnival atmosphere. The fact that the Carlisle team did not have the benefit of playing a competitive game together seemed lost in the euphoria and hype surrounding Roddy Collins return as manager.

The scene was set with expectation high for a dream start but someone forgot to send the script to Hartlepool. The Cumbrians lack of preparation time before the seasons start was more than evident as one of the preseason promotion favourites comfortably won the game, showing the benefit of teamwork compared to flashes of individual skill.

Collins knew the uphill task he was facing and said after the game: “The players haven’t had a preseason and hadn’t played together as a team before today. Too many people got caught up in the hype. Romance would have been great if we had gone out and won but football is not like that. I thought we had some outstanding individual performances but as a team we were short and I knew that last week. I’m not a fool and know we need to add to the squad. Individually I thought Brian Wake did excellent when he came on. He took his goal well, received the ball and laid it off well and that was a major plus. I felt Brian Shelley, who has done no pre season training, was absolutely outstanding. Ryan Baldacchino showed a lot of guile, but is a player you need to work into space so he can use his pace and he will be a top player for us. We grafted well but didn’t pass it well but that was a lack of a system which takes time. Mick Galloway and Lee Maddison came back in and did really well as did Mark Birch in an unaccustomed midfield role. We looked leg weary through the lack of preseason training and gave away the first two goals. There was lack of continuity with players because they don’t know each other yet. But I will get things right and we will have a squad strong enough to get us promoted.”

A fairly lacklustre start to the game saw neither side create any clear cut openings although Hartlepool looked the more composed in possession.

On 17 minutes debutante Trevor Molloy’s whipped in free kick was fractionally too long for strike partner Richie Foran but Gordon Watson came closest for the visitors shooting narrowly wide from Darrell Clarke’s cross.

Anthony Sweeney then headed wide from a Mark Robinson cross before an alert Peter Keen saved from an Eifion Williams shot, following a Watson layoff.

The first goal came two minutes from halftime when Keen could only parry a Williams shot with Mark Tinkler following up to slot home the rebound.

Hartlepool extended their lead two minutes into the second half when Michael Jack failed to clear a loose ball and Richie Humphries pounced to drive the ball into the bottom corner.

Watson and Tinkler both went close as the visitors dominated and a deserved third goal came on 72 minutes. A good run from Clarke saw him cross into the path of Paul Arnison whose deft layoff was powered home by Tinkler.

As Carlisle came into the game in the closing stages a good run from Baldacchino, down the right, resulted in his cross being driven wide by Molloy.

On eighty minutes the Cumbrians got a consolation goal when a neat lob from Mick Galloway put substitute Bran Wake away and he showed great composure before slotting past Anthony Williams.

Molloy then had a twenty-five yard pile-driver tipped over by Williams before Wake shot wide, in the dying seconds, from Molloy’s layoff.

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