CARLISLE United extended their record run of successive home league wins to 12, with a 2-0 defeat of Brighton. Cumbrian boss John Ward said: “We might not get the credit we deserve for this win after our defeat of Forest on Monday, but the conditions were different today and we played the same good football. “We have a great run of form at home, but the most important thing is that we’ve bagged another three points. “We followed up the Forest game very well. Brighton probably thought this was a good time to play us, they attacked and we stood firm.” Carlisle took the lead in the 35th minute when Danny Graham challenged Steven Thomson for a Simon Hackney corner and the ball ended up in the net. It was Graham’s 14th goal of the season and he could have had another when he turned in the 13th minute and fired over the bar. Before that, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson sailed past three defenders and shot wide. Brighton’s former Carlisle striker Glenn Murray did the same, only to see his effort sail inches wide of the post. Murray again came close, forcing Keiren Westwood to save after Ian Westlake’s defence-splitting pass played him through. Cleveland Taylor headed wide from eight yards in the 33rd minute, before a Tommy Fraser free kick found David Martot and the Brighton player’s cross was spilled by Westwood then turned on to the woodwork. Man-of-the-match Danny Livesey made it 2-0 in the 58th minute. A Bridge-Wilkinson corner was knocked back from the far post by Peter Murphy and Livesey powered in to finish an eight-yard half-volley. Brighton’s best effort as a consolation came from Murray, but his header from Westlake’s cross finished on top of the net. Carlisle had a Grant Smith edge-of-area effort scrambled around the post and a Bridge-Wilkinson shot was comfortable for keeper Michael Kuipers. Danny Carlton replaced the misfiring Taylor and came close to making it three, but he couldn’t connect with Hackney’s defence-splitting cross. Brighton manager Dean Wilkins said: “In the first half we had the best chances, but we failed to capitalise and I thought we had a great chance to surprise them today. “They threatened us with crosses, but we were one-on-one with their keeper and couldn’t make it count.” Local boy and Former United favourite Murray said: “Coming away with nothing is frustrating.” | 
