Brunton Park was the scene of an unexpected result as Rochdale, previously second in the standings, comprehensively defeated a high-flying Carlisle United side by two goals to nil. The visitors signalled their intent early, finding the net within the first six minutes. Emmanuel Dieseruvwe opened the scoring for Rochdale, assisted by Sam Beckwith.
Carlisle struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, unable to penetrate a resolute Rochdale defence. The home side’s attacking efforts were largely stifled, and they failed to create any clear-cut chances before the interval. At half-time, manager Hughes made a double substitution, introducing Junior Luamba and Jack Ellis in an attempt to inject some much-needed impetus into his team.
However, the tactical switch failed to yield immediate dividends. In the 56th minute, Dieseruvwe once again found the back of the net, doubling Rochdale’s advantage. This time, Devante Rodney provided the assist.
Carlisle’s afternoon deteriorated further when, in the 58th minute, Bevis Mugabi received a yellow card for a foul. Manager Hughes then made a triple substitution in the 61st minute, bringing on Archie Davies, Georgie Kelly, and Stephen Wearne. Shortly after, Rochdale’s Tobi Adebayo-Rowling was also booked for a foul.
The game became increasingly fragmented, with a flurry of yellow cards disrupting the flow. Regan Linney of Carlisle was cautioned in the 69th minute, and Daniel Moss of Rochdale followed suit in the 81st minute. Rochdale made several substitutions of their own, with Daniel Moss replacing Adebayo-Rowling in the 74th minute. Tarryn Allarakhia and Aidan Barlow came on for Kevin Berkoe and Devante Rodney respectively in the 78th minute, and finally, Casey Pettit replaced Connor McBride, and Levi Amantchi replaced Dieseruvwe in the 86th minute.
The final whistle confirmed a 2-0 victory for Rochdale. The result sees Rochdale leapfrog into first place in the National League standings, now boasting 27 points from 10 games, a testament to their impressive winning streak. Carlisle, meanwhile, will be left to rue a disappointing performance at home, a stark contrast to their otherwise strong showing this season. They remain in fourth place, with 23 points from 12 games, but will need to regroup quickly to avoid losing ground on the league leaders.