Robbo's rockets fire up Rovers

Tranmere's Andy Robinson destroyed Carlisle with an impressive hat-trick to earn Rovers a 3-0 away win at Brunton Park.

Robinson found the net twice in the space of seven first-half minutes, but saved the best for the second half when he thumped home an unstoppable 30-yard free-kick to put an end to Carlisle's fightback. Rovers went ahead in the 12th minute. Joe Thompson played the ball square across the edge of the Carlisle penalty area to Robinson, who was given time and space to line up a perfectly-placed shot which flew into the top corner. More trouble was to follow for Carlisle seven minutes later when Tranmere won a free-kick 25 yards out in a central position. Robinson stepped up to squeeze his shot past the defensive wall and visiting goalkeeper Adam Collin was beaten low down by his right hand post. Carlisle manager Greg Abbott was prompted to make a tactical change mid-way through the first half, bringing on teenage striker Mark Beck to partner home debutant Danny Cadamarteri and it was Cadamarteri who went closest for the Cumbrians with a glancing header. But there was no holding back Robinson, who racked up his hat-trick in the 67th minute from another blistering free-kick, this time 30 yards out after Carlisle defender Danny Livesey had been pulled up for a foul. The ball simply rocketed into Collin's top left-hand corner.