United were back at home for the second time in the space of four days as they hosted Harrogate on Saturday afternoon.

There were two changes from the team that recorded an emphatic victory over Barrow on Tuesday night with strike pairing Kristian Dennis and John-Kymani Gordon in for Joe Garner and Omari Patrick.

United kicked towards the Warwick in the first half, and they had two chances within the first 20 seconds as they went immediately on the front foot. Dennis had one charged down on the edge of the area and Moxon curled the other straight at Jameson when he found space.

Carlisle looked dangerous and a free kick from deep Moxon caused problems as the Sulphurites struggled to clear. Moxon stepped in to take it off O'Connor and Jameson was completely off guard as the defender rifled one from the angle. The keeper was relieved to see his instinctive parry roll away to safety.

Harrogate broke with a floated 40-yard pass from Falkingham that was trapped by Muldoon, who had pulled off Mellish's shoulder. The defence regrouped and the opening was closed.

Neat passing took the hosts from the halfway line to the box as Gibson trapped then fed Moxon. Armer was on the run and eager to collect, and a great delivery had to be cleared by O'Connor. Dennis was first to react, but his cut back was cut out at the front stick.

Armer was accurate again with an improvised lobbed pass that dropped on the penalty spot. Gordon got a toe to it, but the covering defender did enough to stop the shot.

A sprint from Gibson with the ball at his feet saw him push the yellow shirts back, but his low pass hit a boot and went behind. The half clearance from the corner found the same man in space in the 'D' and a grasscutter needed a save from Jameson as he went full length to get his hand to it.

Deliveries from Moxon and Gibson kept the pressure on, with Mellish on the end of a deep one from the latter with a cushioned touch back into the mix. Ramsay was there to see it on its way.

The throw was quickly taken and Moxon wheeled away to curl the ball into the area. Gordon threw himself at it but he couldn't quite stretch his neck enough to give it the touch it needed. 

Moxon put a corner right under the bar on the half hour, but Jameson scooped it with his hand to force it away. Gibson sent his laces through it when it fell onto his boot, but it was cleared before anyone could make anything of it.

A spurt from midfield from Moxon followed, as he twisted and turned, and Dennis linked with Gordon with plenty of home shirts forward. A corner was the result of a clever pass, and Dennis glanced that one just over as Moxon arrowed it onto his head at the near stick.

The intricate stuff continued to come from the home team, with another one-touch move involving Dennis, Mellish and Armer almost bearing fruit until the offside flag went up.

A rare attack from the visitors almost earned them a goal as everybody in a yellow shirt went forward for a Foulds free kick. He whisked it into the danger area and Holy was relieved to see it strike the outside of his upright on its way into the Waterworks terracing.

A 35-yarder from Gordon welcomed the second half into play, but it was right at Jameson and he gathered it comfortably.

It didn't quite run for the hosts for a fifteen-minute spell as they got into good situations, without making the most of them, but that almost changed when Gordon plucked a difficult pass out of the air. It was worked to Moxon, but his effort was charged down.

Carlisle almost unpicked the lock with a Gibson swirler that had Feeney and Garner interested, but it skimmed past the last runner and the away team relaxed.

There was defending to do at the other end as Folarin came through a challenge. Grant tried to feed it to Armstrong but he took too long and Mellish got himself between man and ball.

Determined pressing from Gordon, Garner and Gibson forced a corner from nothing, but that was stopped before it could get too far into the box.

The introduction of Patrick with 20 minutes left to go was immediately followed by a snapshot from the forward when he got his head over the ball on the angle of the box. Jameson was able to watch it all the way.

Feeney was first to a whipped corner from Grant as the stalemate continued, and his clearance was followed by another offside flag with a row of visiting players the wrong side of the back line.

A long kick forward from Holy was contested by Garner and he did enough to send Patrick clear. He dropped a shoulder twice before striking it with venom. Jameson was once again in the right place.

It was quickly recycled. and Garner controlled before spinning to cross. Gibson was ready to volley but it was hooked away just in time.

The visitors were given the lead in the strangest of circumstances late in the day when a ball over the top appeared to be covered by Huntington. He was left with his head in his hands as he put too much on the back pass and the ball spun past the stranded Tomas Holy and over the line.

Josh Falkingham was carded on 90 minutes when he used a hand to slow down a Gibson thunderbolt of a free kick, and that meant another set piece opportunity, this time for Devitt, 22-yards out. It was going in until Jameson tipped it over. 

Armer took the corner, and Huntington twice got his head on it, only to see the second one loop into the keeper's hands.

United threw everything at it, and Garner raced clear to send a quality cross in. The corner was blocked out and Harrogate were left to celebrate their win.

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Match Sponsor - Graham Commercials
Associate Sponsor - Fantails
Match Ball Sponsor - Wheatsheaf, Wetheral
Match Ball Sponsor - Crown & Thistle, Rockcliffe

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Goals

Harrogate - Huntington (82 og)

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Bookings

Carlisle United - Mellish (56), Gibson (86)

Harrogate - Foulds (77), Falkingham (90)

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Teams

Carlisle United - Holy, Feeney (c), Huntington, Mellish, Barclay, Gibson, Guy, Moxon (Devitt 85), Armer, Gordon (Patrick 71), Dennis (Garner 62). Subs - Kelly (gk), Whelan, Robinson, McCalmont.

Harrogate - Jameson, Falkingham (c), Grant (Angus 90), O'Connor, Pattison, Muldoon (Folarin 39), Ramsay (Burrell 90), Daly (Sutton 79), Armstrong, Foulds, Eastman. Subs - Oxley (gk), Thomson, Olaigbe.

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Match officials

Referee - Robert Lewis
Assistant Referee 1 - Darren Williams
Assistant Referee 2 - Bradley Hall
Fourth Official - Graeme Fyvie
Observer - Eddie Ilderton

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Attendance - 6,422 (123)