Scott Dobie was rewarded for his late, late winner against Yeovil on Saturday with a recall to the starting line up for the visit of table topping Swansea City, with Cleveland Taylor taking a place on the bench, as John Ward tinkered with his starting eleven for the first time since the beginning of March.

Chris Lumsdon started the game in an influential manner, and was the focal point for most of the play that came through the midfield for United.

The Cumbrians had the first shot on target, on 5 minutes, when Scott Dobie cleared from a Swans corner and then burst forward. Danny Graham held possession on the edge of the visitors box, before Bridge-Wilkinson sent a low, weak left foot shot straight at De Vries.

United started well, and Grant Smith was next to go close as the home side built on the left. It eventually came to Smith, but his 23-yarder was always heading wide of the target.

A succession of corners from Hackney and Bridge-Wilkinson had De Vries flustered in the 13th minute, but he just about dealt with them as his haf-hearted flaps took the deliveries away from the waiting strikers.

Simon Hackney curled a lovely cross in to the danger area in the 16th minute and was inches away from finding the run of Graham, who had stolen a yard at the near post. Tate recovered, and put it a well timed block, just as the Brunton Park crowd rose expectantly.

The Swans had their first effort in the 24th minute, from a move started and finished by Ashley Williams. His dummy in midifeld took him to the edge of the box, and Murphy stuck a leg out to block the shot that would have brought Westwood in to play.

Robinson sent a wild effort over in the 26th minute, but Scott Dobie was close to breaking the deadlock when he judged a high bouncing ball that left Lawrence on his heels. The big striker spun, but he was at an awkward angle and could only force De Vries in to a near post save, low to the ground, as he tried to squeeze it in.

Westwood appeared to have misjudged a Robinson free kick in the 33rd minute, when it ricocheted off his cross bar and in to the Warwick. He'd watched it all the way, but it was a relief to everyone when it dipped behind.

It was a good spell for the visitors, and Williams and Scotland combined for the latter to drill a 13-yard shot just over the bar. Raven then had to slide in to a Williams shot as the nippy front man jinked his way past two challenges. His effort was on target, but the right back had done his job.

Danny Graham showed his alertness in the 38th minute when he reacted to a deflected pass from Bridge-Wilkinson and shot, whilst off balance. De Vries was beaten, but so was the post as it bobbled safely away.

Half Time: United 0 - 0 Swans

It was hearts in the mouth time from the restart when Williams ran at the centre of the defence, committing players in to the tackle. he won a free kick right on the edge of ther area, allowing Robinson to line it up. His thunderbolt crashed down off the underside of the bar, and on to the line before being cleared by Murphy.

Bridge-Wilkinson forced De Vries in to a hurried save shortly after, as the ball swung from end to end, and both Williams and Scotland were wasteful with shots from distance that screwed wide of the target.

Robinson cut in from the left and sent one right at Westwood in the 56th minute, as the Swans looked to assert some authority, and it was a nervy period for United as they had to weather an increase of tempo from the visitors.

David Raven raised spirits with a curling shot on 68 minutes, and Simon Hackney brought a spectacular save from De Vries in the next attack when he angled a shot towards the top corner from 24-yards out. The big keeper threw himself at it and did enough to claw it away for a corner.

Unforced errors crept in to the Carlisle play, making it difficult for the Cumbrians to build up any kind of pressure, and Lumsdon had to clear a goal-bound shot in the 85th minute when Westwood spilled a fizzed cross. Bauza was on to it, and he thought he'd scored until the United midfielder got his head in the way.

Dennis Lawrence put the corner right at Westwood, and that was to be the last meaningful action from what was a very tight game.

Bookings

United - G Smith (40), Bridge-Wilkinson (51), Raven (88)

Swans - Robinson (40), Bauza (78), Scotland (81)

Teams 

United - Westwood, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood, Dobie (Taylor 71), Lumsdon, Bridge-Wilkinson, G Smith, Hackney (Madine 89), Graham. Subs - Howarth, Arnison, Joyce.

Swans - De Vries, Austin, Tate, Britton, Pratley, Scotland, Lawrence, Robinson, Butler (Anderson 87), Brandy (Bauza 74), Williams. Subs - Painter, Tudur-Jones, Way.

Away fans - 586