Player-coach Graham Kavanagh came back into the heart of midfield for the visit of Tranmere Rovers as Carlisle United went in search of their first home win of the season.

Rovers started in attacking mode and Cresswell overlapped on the left  when Thomas-Moore fed in onto him. He crossed early and the ball was eventually cleared by Murphy as it bounced through two sets of legs.

A good run from Raven brought a deep cross on 6 minutes but Daniels was able to grasp it out of the air as Robson arrived at the far post.

Luke Daniels made a howler on 9 minutes when Ian Harte prowled forward and received an inside pass from Hurst. He shot on his right foot from distance and it skipped up off the surface in front of the keeper. He got his hands to it, but it spun away and somehow crept just past the upright.

Hurst took the resulting corner and Dobie got his head to it, but he couldn't keep it on target as he came under pressure.

Alan Mahon had the first shot on target for Rovers on 21 minutes when he pounced on a block from a Shaleum Logan effort, but it was right at Pidgeley and he was able to take it comfortably.

Danny Livesey had to stride across to take the ball away from Shuker as he jinked his way towards the edge of the box, and United came close at the other end when Robson flung a long throw into the area. Dobie got the slightest of touches at the near post but it drifted away as Daniels allowed it to race by.

Daniels committed himself on 29 minutes when the ball arrived at the edge of the box, but he was all at sea as Hurst made it his. He pulled it back to Anyinsah, but his route to goal was shut down quickly as Rovers regrouped. Hurst then sent it across to Kavanagh, and his ball inside sat up for Thirlwell to hit. Daniels had to parry it away as it came through a gaggle of bodies.

Alan Mahon had a shot deflected wide as Tranmere enjoyed a better spell, and Thomas-Moore spotted Pidgeley off his line when he curled one just wide from 25 yards.

The balance shifted back towards Carlisle again and Livesey headed over from a Hurst cross when he perhaps could have done better.

Scott Dobie cushioned a header back towards Anyinsah in the 38th minute, but he lost the flight of the ball and he missed his kick as it dropped awkwardly. Thirlwell had a half chance charged down when he tried to volley it, and Matt Robson brought a full length save from Daniels as United stayed forward in numbers.

Ian Harte rattled the crossbar with a fantastic 23-yard free kick that lifted over the wall and left Daniels for dead in the 42nd minute, and it was cleared by Edds as Dobie followed in.

Shaleum Logan was shown the red card following two challenges in quick succession on Matt Robson on 45 minutes, reducing Tranmere to ten men for the second period.

Half Time: United 0 - 0 Tranmere

The second half started as the first had ended with the Cumbrians pressing forward against 10-man Rovers. Daniels parried shots from Kavanagh and Hurst and it took a scrambled clearance from Edds to relieve the pressure.

Graham Kavanagh brought a fingertip save out of Daniels when he kept his head over a bouncing ball to volley it towards the bottom corner, and Peter Murphy had a free header from the corner that followed but he could only send it across the face of goal.

United took the lead on 59 minutes when Robson overlapped on the left and cut it back to Joe Anyinsah. Just 8-yards out he measured his shot and placed it into the back of the net with a neat right foot finish.

Danny Livesey made it a comfortable afternoon for United when he watched a Kevan Hurst cross all the way befire heading it into the back of the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Scott Dobie was thwarted by a good save from Daniels when he went one-on-one moments later, and he was soon replaced by Offiong having had another very good game.

Ian Harte made it 3-0 in the 79th minute when he crunched a crisp header past Daniels from a Robson corner, and Richard Offiong was close to doing the same when he rose high to meet a right wing delivery from Hurst shortly after he came on.

A goalmouth scramble at the end saw shots from Hurst, Harte, Robson and Thirlwell, but Tranmere survived the scare and were able to clear.

Goals

United - Anyinsah (59), Livesey (68), Harte (79)

Bookings

United - Raven (72)

Rovers - Logan (45, 45+1 sent off)

Teams 

United - Pidgeley, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Harte, Hurst, Kavanagh (Bridge-Wilkinson 86), Thirlwell, Robson, Anyinsah (Madine 79), Dobie (Offiong 75). Subs (not used) - Collin, Kane, Horwood, Rothery.

Tranmere - Daniels, Logan, Cresswell (Fraughan 65), Edds, Goodison, McLaren, Thomas-Moore, Mahon (Taylor 46), Welsh, Gunning, Shuker (Curran 65). Subs: Collister, Gornell, Ricketts, Barnett.

Away fans - 269