Words John Edwards | Pictures Sean Walsh

Altrincham 1 Carlisle 2

Regan Linney marked his return to The J.Davidson Stadium with what proved to be the winning goal, but Altrincham could count themselves unfortunate to finish up empty-handed after turning in a performance  that made light of atrocious conditions on a rain-soaked afternoon as Moss Lane.

Linney powered home a spectacular long-range effort after a Jimmy Knowles penalty had cancelled out an early header by Georgie Kelly, all the goals coming in an action-packed first half.

The Robins continued to play with energy and conviction after the break but couldn't find a way through for what would have been a deserved point, despite carving out several clear chances.

Linney was always likely to be in the thick of things, and that proved to be the case inside the opening couple of minutes.

Exactly 10 seconds in, Carlisle won a corner on he right, and while the delivery was awaited, Linney and Isaac Marriott became embroiled in a pushing and shoving match on the edge of the six-yard box.

The initial contact came from Marriott, but it was the faintest of touches that hardly merited a firm two-handed push in the chest from a clearly irritated Linney that the referee either failed to see or chose to ignore.

A minute later, after keeper Gabriel Breeze confidently caught an Alty corner and rolled the ball out to Linney, the former Robins favourite was clipped by Marriott, as he attempted to accelerate towards the centre circle.

It was a foul, but the theatrical reaction that followed, as Linney rolled over and over on the sodden turf, scarcely reflected well on the striker, particularly as he was back on his feet, right as rain, in a matter of seconds.

Linney may have established himself as the Carlisle danger man since his move to Brunton Park, but it was his fellow-striker Kelly who put his side ahead in the ninth minute, meeting a left-wing cross with a header into the right corner of the net.

Kelly thought he had doubled the lead three minutes later, only for an offside flag to rescue Alty after he finished unmarked at the far post following a free-kick from the left.

Alty hit back with a near-miss in the 16th minute and an equaliser moments later.

First, Kahrel Reddin set up Olly Crankshaw, who created space for a shot that produced a sprawling save by Breeze, diving to his right to palm it away.

Then, as Lewis Banks rose to challenge for a left-wing corner on the edge of the area, he was caught by a flailing elbow from Kelly that left him clutching his face on the floor and in need of lengthy treatment.

What didn't take so long was the award of a penalty, Alty's first of the season and an opportunity for Knowles to show his composure from 12 yards.

Though the penalty was awarded in the 17th minute, a combination of first aid for Banks and the inevitable protests from Carlisle players - is a spot-kick ever given uncomplainingly? - meant we were pretty much into the 19th minute before Knowles finally stepped up to drill it nervelessly beyond the reach of the diving Breeze.

Even more inevitable than players arguing about penalties against them was that Linney would help himself to a goal on his return to The J.Davidson Stadium.

And, to be fair, it was some strike.

Gliding past two challenges with effortless ease, he was still three or four yards outside the Alty area when he let fly with a shot that fairly flew into the top corner to give Carlisle a 35th-minute 2-1 lead.

No great surprise, either, that there was no holding back with the celebrations, as he made a beeline for the Repower Golf Road End and performed a knee slide with arms outstretched and, apparently, a few choice words.

Given the general lack of animosity towards him from Alty fans in the build-up to the game and on the day, it wasn't easy to find a great deal of justification for such an extreme reaction.

Alty should have gone in all-square at half-time after being handed a glorious chance to equalise for a second time in the 43rd minute.

Breeze left his area and managed to block Sam Reed's route to goal, only for the ball to squirm loose to the normally-lethal Knowles, whose usual sure touch for once deserted him as he steered his shot wide of a gaping net.

Alty were out of luck in their quest for a leveller not once but twice early in the second half.

In the 52nd minute, Crankshaw latched on to a Reddin pass on the right and crossed for Tom Crawford to unleash a first-time volley that had goal written all over it until cannoning into a defender and flying over for a corner.

Seconds later, Reed advanced down the right and floated the ball towards the far post, where it evaded the grasping fingers of Breeze and smacked against the upright, with no-one on hand to pounce on the loose ball and finish it off.

Carlisle were down to 10 men in the 54th minute when Cameron Harper blocked off the lively Reddin near the touchline and was shown a second yellow card.

Reddin remained a threat down the right, with his pace and jinking runs, and substitute Keaton Ward tested Breeze with a downward header in the 74th minute that the keeper managed to hold on to as it bounced awkwardly in front of him.

Breeze was in action again in the 85th minute when Ward controlled a low cross from Reed and fired in a left-shot that was saved low down.

Carlisle survived with their slender lead intact once more in the 89th minute when substitute Matty Kosylo slid in at the far post to meet a Tylor Golden cross, only for his first-time effort to flash narrowly wide.

Kosylo was unfortunate again in the 90th minute with a header from a Reed cross that looped narrowly over, and when Crawford picked up a second yellow card in added time, it felt like confirmation that it wasn't to be Alty's day.

Beeline VIP Travel Man Of The Match Kahrel Reddin

Altrincham Hutchinson; Banks, Reed, Osborne (c), Crankshaw (Gale, 67'), Marriott (Ward, 67'), Knowles (Kosylo, 80'), Reddin, Crawford, Golden, Sassi. Subs not used: Baines, Cooper, Fallon, Kirk.

Carlisle Breeze; Davies (Feeney, 84'), Harper, Thomas (c), Kelly, Linney (Ajiboye, 80'), Luamba (Jones, 80'), Wearne (Macadam, 72'), Ellis, Gilliead, Mugabi. Subs not used: Whelan, Grant, Lewis.

HT 1-2

Goals Knowles 19' | Kelly 9', Linney 35'

Yellows Osborne 24'. Crawford 45'+3, 90'+5 | Harper 15', 54', Kelly 17', Thomas 21', Ellis 86'

Reds Crawford 90'+5 | Harper 54'

Referee Richie Watkins

Assistants Alan Hull & Francis Sibley

Fourth official Matthew Jones

Attendance 3,332 (1,056 away)

Next Up

It's Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday night at The J.Davidson Stadium (7:45pm). You can get your tickets for that one online here.