United went into their weekend home game against Stevenage looking to make it five wins in a row, but it was always going to be a tough encounter with both teams locked tightly together in the automatic promotion places.

Manager Paul Simpson went with a completely unchanged 18 with Joe Garner and Omari Patrick once again leading the line.

The crowd were up for it from the off and United had a chance with just 35 seconds on the clock after Garner had twice challenged successfully inside his own half. McCalmont asked for it and he released Armer on the overlap. The wing back stepped into the box, and his cut back found Moxon in support. A drilled shot struck a defender, and there were loud appeals for handball as it ricocheted off Sweeney. The referee waved play on.

Reid found himself in a pocket of space as Stevenage worked the ball forward well, but his effort from distance was tame and it struck the advertising boards in front of the Warwick Road End.

Tenacity from Garner earned a free kick 35-yards out when he was bundled to the ground, but the clearance eventually led to a visiting break. Holy raced out of his area to stop March from streaking clear, and he did enough to make it a difficult cross. Huntington completed the sweeping up.

Determination from Moxon saw him rob Sweeney on the touchline in front of the Paddock, and he spotted McCracken off his line as he went for the lob. The keeper back tracked to take it into his hands.

It was Guy who was next to close down with purpose and his block on an attempted clearance presented Armer with an opening. He let fly from distance and it wasn't too far away from finding the corner of the target.

A free kick from the halfway line from Moxon was met by Huntington as Carlisle kept chipping away, but the away defence did enough to get it clear. Moxon had a volley charged down, and the celebrations that followed when the ball was ushered over the line by Garner were cut short by an offside flag.

Lovely home football saw United carve their way through from inside their own half, with Mellish and Guy picking it up to start things off. Senior pulled wide, and he found Patrick, who whipped a beauty into the area. It was put behind by Sweeney before Garner could pounce.

The inswinging set piece from Moxon had to be tipped behind by McCracken, but it should have been a penalty when Huntington literally had his shirt ripped off his back by Sweeney. The officials missed it, and Feeney and Piergianni were booked for the afters that followed.

Stevenage were first to show after the break after a high ball forward bounced awkwardly. Norris and Reid shielded it, and Gilbey stepped into space. He put his laces through it from 19-yards but it was always going wide.

Carlisle responded with some patient stuff on the left flank. Armer, Mellish and Garner were involved, then the forward peeled away to get on the end of a Moxon flick. It was an awkward header and it sailed over the bar.

Gilbey flashed another volley wide as he met a huge punt forward, and a dangerous corner was crashed past the upright by Sweeney as he tried to spin on it to find the nets.

There was more consternation for the home contingent when a Moxon free kick from the right brought more tussling in the area, and an apparent handball that everybody called for. Yet again nothing was given.

United fashioned a great break on the hour when Garner trapped it for Moxon to spread the play. Senior rolled his pass along the line of the box and McCalmont let it go. It spun away for a corner, and Boro made sure they kept it away.

Sweeney hauled Edmondson to the ground after a looped pass forward from Guy set the striker clear, and there was an argument for a red card, with only a yellow given. Moxon placed the ball for the free kick, but the moment was lost as a training ground routine saw two efforts blocked.

Mellish was needed late in the day as Reid threatened to burst through, and his intervention was perfectly timed. That was the same for keeper Jon McCracken when he scampered out of his box to deal with a through ball that was intended for Dennis.

Moxon had one stopped in its tracks when he latched onto a spinning ball with just three minutes left to go, and Dennis clipped wide after Edmondson and Armer had linked up to try to make something happen.

Reid slammed a wild cross across the face of the goal for Boro as both teams looked to snatch late joy, and it was a share of the spoils as that clear cut chance evaded both sides.

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Match Sponsor - Park Gate
Associate Sponsor - Go Hardware
Match Ball Sponsor - The Beehive
Match Ball Sponsor - T&S Air Conditioning

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Bookings

Carlisle United - Feeney (42), Mellish (53)

Stevenage - Piergianni (42), Sweeney (50), March (53)

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Teams

Carlisle United - Holy, Feeney (c), Huntington, Mellish, Senior, Moxon, Guy, McCalmont (Gibson 76), Armer, Patrick (Dennis 65), Garner (Edmondson 65). Subs - Kelly (gk), Whelan, Robinson, Gordon.

Stevenage - McCracken, Clark, reeves, Piergianni (c), Sweeney, Taylor (Forster-Caskey 31), Norris, Smith, Gilbey, Reid, March (Bostwick 76). Subs - Przybek (gk), Wildin, Vancooten, Tomkinson, Rose.

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Match officials

Referee - Tom Reeves
Assistant Referee 1 - Mark Cunliffe
Assistant Referee 2 - Blake Antrobus
Fourth Official - Darren Handley
Observer - Russell Tiffin

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Attendance - 8,029 (141)