United were at home to Swindon Town in the third of their League Two fixtures and it was another day of baking hot sunshine for the players to contend with.

Hosepipe bans were the order of the day down south, with Europe gripped by a fierce spell of hot weather that was causing record temperatures, major droughts and water shortages in many areas.

Back to the football, and Paul Simpson made three injury enforced changes to the team that started down in Colchester with Jack Ellis, Omari Patrick and Corey Whelan in for Ben Barclay, Ryan Edmondson and Morgan Feeney.

United won an early corner after Guy, Gibson, Back and Patrick had combined, and there were brief celebrations when Moxon's delivery was met by Whelan. He found Dennis, who finished it off, but the flag was up for offside.

There were then loud appeals for a penalty when Patrick was felled as he looked to break through, but the referee deemed it to be a fair challenge.

Williams and Wakeling exchanged passes on the edge of the Carlisle area as the visitors got forward in numbers, but Ellis did well to get in the way of the shot when it came. His block made it easy for Holy to gather.

McKirdy flashed one across the face of the target as Swindon came again, but the forwards were on their heels and the moment was gone.

Moxon then showed real strength in the middle of the park as he closed Reed down, and he came away with the ball, 23-yards out. He went for the shot but it was scuffed and Brynn scooped it up.

A low drive from distance from Armer followed a clearance from a dangerous inswinger of a Moxon set piece, and Brynn could only watch as it fizzed through legs and eventually past his post. 

Carlisle came again following more good work from Moxon, with Gibson and Dennis also involved. Armer overlapped and delivered, and the follow-up from the in-form Dennis was charged down.

Reed was booked when he cynically hauled Gibson to the floor, when he robbed possession and threatened to sprint clear, but the wronged player blazed his 28-yard free kick high over the bar at the Waterworks End.

The Robins took the lead from nowhere when Wakeling pounced on Guy as the ball got stuck under his feet inside his own half. He was suddenly through and he left Holy with no chance as he drilled it into the net beneath the keeper's dive.

Carlisle should have been level just past the half hour when Dennis dropped deep to release Back on the overlap. He muscled his way into the box before sliding a beauty of a pass behind the back line. Patrick had the goal at his mercy but he somehow lifted it over the bar from very close range.

Whelan had to block from Wakeling just before the break when Williams nodded a deep cross back towards the front man, and Dennis bent one just past the post at the other end when Guy picked him out in a good position. 

It was almost inevitable that it would be Kristian Dennis who would nab the equaliser and he timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap on the stroke of half-time when Gibson clipped the perfect pass into his path. With just the keeper to beat he made it four in four games with the deftest of finishes.

That equalled a record set by Billy Stark way back in 1962 when he netted in the first four games of that campaign, against Peterborough (twice, in two different games), QPR and Hull.

He almost doubled his tally in time added on when Gibson lobbed it over the advancing defence. The striker nodded powerfully but the keeper tipped it over the bar.

United carved their way through again in the fourth minute of extra play with Patrick the antagonist as he battled his way past two fouls tight by the touchline. Moxon helped it to Back, but his curler from an angle was dealt with by Brynn.

Anticipation from Gibson saw him steal possession on the halfway line just after the break and he carried it forward to the edge of the box. Patrick was inside, and the touch off the outside of Gibson's boot gave the forward space. He looked for a cute shot but it struck a defender and it was cleared.

A ball over the top from the red shirts put McKirdy one-on-one with Holy but the keeper was out to tighten the angles and make the save. Carlisle broke, and Back earned a corner as he kept an Armer cross alive. The away team stood strong as three deliveries came in.

Holy had to drop low to save from Wakeling after McKirdy had put him through, with the game going from end to end, and the keeper was there to deal with the seconds from the corner and then release a huge kick. Dennis trapped it with his toe, but his volley flew into the Warwick.

Gladwin caught one on the full with the top of his boot after a patient build up, but it hit Mellish and spooned high. Whelan was firm with the resulting set piece.

There was half a sight for substitute Jack Stretton with his first touch when an Armer cross was spilled by Brynn. He had to throw his heel at it to make a connection and it spun away to safety.

McKirdy thrashed one into the side netting as he tried to find a way past Whelan and Holy, and Stretton somehow thundered one over from close range after Armer had nodded a Gibson cross back into the danger area.

Dennis was closing in on it, and the young striker couldn't believe it as he took it off his partner's toe and his shot on the turn went high.

Holy saved from Adeloye as the visitors fashioned a break, with a great pass that was touched by McKirdy. The striker found the target but the stopper was there, as he was moments later when Reed tried his luck from long range.

A lovely twist from Hilton had him away from his marker late in the day, but his cross was stopped before he could find a blue shirt. 

United kept probing, with Stretton chopped down in time added on when he feinted with the ball at his feet, and there was one last chance as the hosts won themselves a corner. That was plucked out of the sky by Brynn and the teams had to settle for a point a piece as the final whistle blew.

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Match Sponsor - Hangman Products UK
Associate Sponsor - Gordons Construction Equipment

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Goals

Carlisle United - Dennis (45)

Swindon Town - Wakeling (22)

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Bookings

Carlisle United - Moxon (63)

Swindon Town - Reed (19), MacDonald (90)

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Teams

Carlisle United - Holy, Ellis, Whelan (c), Mellish, Back, Guy, Moxon (Harris 71), Gibson (Hilton 85), Armer, Dennis, Patrick (Stretton 71). Subs - Kelly (gk), Devitt, Bollado, Carr.

Swindon Town - Brynn, Hutton, Reed, baudry, Gladwin, Williams (Shade 77), McKirdy, Blake-Tracey, MacDonald (c), Khan, Wakeling (Adeloye 74). Subs - Ward (gk), Clayton, Darcy, Aguiar, Harries.

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Match officials

Referee - Andrew Kitchen
Assistant Referee 1 - Helen Edwards
Assistant Referee 2 - Simon Clayton
Fourth Official - Dale Baines
Observer - Graham Salisbury

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Attendance - 5,602 (311)