1. Freestone
2. Price
3. Howard
4. Cusack
5. Smith
6. Bound
7. Roberts
8. Thomas @
9. Bird #
10. Watkin
11. O'Leary

---

12. Alsop #
13. Jones J
14. Appleby @
15. Coates
16. Lacey

 Carlisle

1. Weaver
2. Barr
3. Clark
4. Brightwell
5. Whitehead
6. Prokas
7. Skelton @
8. Hopper
9. Searle #
10. Walker
11. Tracy *

---

12. Pitts #
13. Rodey @
14. Thorpe *
15. Keen
16. Anthony

Our first points of the season!

It might sound churlish to people that weren't at the last two games (both wins), but I haven't seen anything to suggest that this season is not going to be a carbon copy of last.

If we are meant to go straight up this season (JH & NM quotes), then we should be tucking up sides like this at home. No disrespect to Carlisle, but they were out of the league 3 months and 70 minutes ago.

Both keepers played an influential part in this afternoon's results and if I say that those who predicted 3-3 in the predictascore were closer than those that went for 1-0, you might understand what I'm getting at.

Swansea fielded the same team that started on Wednesday against Millwall. A bright start saw us swarm at Carlisle and their keeper (Weaver) made fine reaction saves to keep us out.

Not be outdone, Roger was called upon to make 3 point blank stops before half-time to keep them out.

Talk in the bog at HT was "that we were dreadful".

Second half saw them have a good 5 minutes before Hollins replaced the ineffective Bird with Alsop and a subdued Thomas was replaced by Appleby.

A good period of pressure for Swansea around the hour mark and a succession of corners had Carlisle worried.

The goal came around the 65 minute mark. Watkin received the ball with his marking tight at his back. His close control was excellent and he was able to feed Roberts wide on the right. He made progress to the edge of the area and his cross/pass found Watkin (again back to goal) just inside the corner of the box. Again excellent control saw him feed Price rampaging in from the right. His shot from all of 20 yards was hit so sweetly, the immaculate Weaver in the Carlisle goal could only dive and watch it rocket into the top corner of the net.

The strike was so good - that Price will have trouble convincing his own mother that he was responsible for it. (I heard there may have been the slightest of deflections - but you will be able to see this for yourself from the video clip tomorrow).

The last 5 minutes (and more) were spent with us holding the 18 yard line. It was disappointing to see players of the calibre of Roberts resorting to hoofing the ball upfield.

Note to JH: this can't be a winning tactic as the ball comes straight back and the pressure continues to build!

Anyway, a welcome 3 points and I will be making the trip to Macclesfield next week - but watch my predictascore entry for a realistic assessment of our chances.

My player ratings:
Freestone 9
Price 7
Bound 7
Smith 7
Howard 4
Roberts 7
Thomas 5
O'Leary 7
Cusack 6
Bird 5
Watkin 7
====
Alsop 6
Appleby 6

Ref: 7

SWANSEA CITY 1-0 CARLISLE UNITED
Price (65)

Swansea overcame Carlisle in a tight encounter at The Vetch Field and had Jason Price to thank for their victory.

Swansea were unchanged from the side that played Millwall in a mid-week, Steve Watkin and Mike Howard both passed morning fitness tests.

The Cumbrians' made one change to the side which held Grimsby in the Cup on Tuesday, skipper Billy Barr coming in for Matthew Pitts. After seven minutes Swansea thought they should have had a spot kick as Barr took-out Tony Bird in the box.

The referee, Peter Walton, clearly spotted the offence, but unbelievably only awarded The Swans a free-kick on the edge of the area which Matt Bound wastefully lashed his shot over the bar.

The Swans where indebted to Roger Freestone's strength on 12 minutes when he acrobatically beat away a Prokas rocket. Swansea's reply was swift, Nick Cusack released the speedy Stuart Roberts down the right and Steve Watkin was thwarted by the flying Luke Weaver.

On 24 minutes the Welshman went near again as the advancing Martin Thomas also tested Weaver's abiliity.

The encounter was developing into a chess-like battle in midfield with Swansea's Cusack and Thomas attempting to out-think Carlisle's duo of Richard Prokas and Tony Hopper.

As the interval loomed it was the Cumbrians who looked the stronger and Freestone made brilliant saves to foil Andy Walker and Gavin Skelton in first-half stoppage time.

After 61 minutes The Swans went close to breaking the stalemate. Appleby turned sweetly, but Weaver parried his stinging 20-yard strike round a n upright.

Four minutes later The Welshmmen grabbed the lead in dramatic fashion. Back-pedalling Carlisle only half cleared a cross and Welsh Under-21 Interantional Jason Price's left-footed screamer ripped past Weaver from thirty yards.