Recap

Relentless Redcar were left to rue missed chances as Carlisle struck late.

Redcar Athletic were denied a fifth consecutive victory, as their poor finishing was punished by Carlisle’s stoppage time equaliser.

Donny Holdsworth was the man on the scoresheet once again for Athletic, notching his fourteenth of the season with a delicate, dipping free kick to clinch the lead.

The Steelmen wasted countless opportunities in a dominant second half display, before Dan Harvey scrambled the ball over the line at the death to snatch a point for the Sky Blues.

The match presented a first start in red for Alex Bruton, who impressed down the left flank, feeding Donny Holdsworth for a fifth minute chance, which Carlisle’s Stephen Townsley gathered easily.

Redcar had a vice-like grip on City in the opening exchanges, with Mason McNeill the closest to capitalising with a curled effort off the outside of his boot, which whistled passed the top corner.

Like clockwork, it was Donny Holdsworth who eventually sealed Athletic an 18th minute lead, lifting a free kick over the wall to pick out the top left corner in style.

Craig Hutchinson should have made it two moments later, as he latched on to Holdsworth’s through ball, sending his effort over the bar from a very dangerous position.

Donny was still in search of a brace as the half wore on, going closest five minutes before the break, as his tight angle snapshot was fended behind for a corner.

Redcar’s relentlessness didn’t cease after the restart, with Mason McNeill the first to turn sustained pressure into a chance at goal, fizzing an effort from range down the neck of Townsley.

The Steelmen’s persistence wasn’t finding it’s just reward, as James Paylor’s back post header dropped agonisingly wide, before Alfie Conway was denied from close-range on the hour mark.

Hutchinson was the next to try his luck, with his short dry spell dragging on as he failed to hit the target, letting fly over the bar after Holdsworth had set him away on a quick breakaway.

Donny himself missed a golden opportunity to wrap up the game moments later, taking too much time to react as the ball dropped at his feet at close range, allowing Townsley to recover and make a decisive block.

Redcar’s failure to kill the game off seemed to breathe life into Carlisle, as Ivison forced Jack Norton into his first save of the afternoon, striking into the shot-stopper’s grateful grasp from the left side of the area.

One last clear-cut chance for Athletic came through Craig Hutchinson, who beat Stephen Townsley with a curling effort, only for Carlisle’s standout man Dan Kirkup to provide a headed clearance off the line.

Finally, and most predictably, City punished the Steelmen for their shortcomings, with Dan Harvey getting the final touch as the ball was scrambled over the line for a 94th minute sucker-punch, forcing Gary Forster’s side to settle for a draw.

Attendance: 208.

Goal Scorers: Brandon Holdsworth (18).