It was a second home game in the space of four days for the Blues as the Grecians came to Brunton Park on Saturday afternoon.

There was just one change to the starting eleven from the Tuesday home draw with Wigan, with Fin Back in for Jack Ellis on the right of the defence.

Edmondson and Maguire were once again paired up front, with a very attack-minded formation behind them.

It took just 44 seconds for United to create their first chance of the day as Maguire picked the ball up and stepped forward. He took two paces and let fly with his right foot, but it edged past the upright with Sinisalo still on the dive.

Armer was then on the overlap as Maguire once again showed for the ball, and he opted to cross hard and low on the run. The keeper was in the rght place on this occasion.

A surge from Mellish brought a barge from Trevitt that referee Adam Herczeg wasn't impressed with. Moxon's 28-yarder was stopped by the wall.

Mitchell went on a foray for the visitors but it came to nothing when his dinked cross was met by Lavelle. Moxon completed the clearance.

Exeter were dangerous on 10 minutes when Jules drifted in from the left flank. Aitchison was available, and he showed presence of mind when he brought Rankine into play. A solid defensive wall stifled the shot.

It was Carlisle's turn to probe and Gibson outfoxed his man when he dropped a shoulder. His cross took two deflections and Back tried to guide a volley into the bottom corner at the Waterworks End from just inside the area. He wheeled away in disappointment as it skittered wide.

Moxon had the hosts interested when he bent a deep free kick into the mix. Hartridge had followed the flight and he did well to guide it over his own bar.

The game had a real flow to it and Mitchell was released once more when Cole spread it wide. He had just one thing in mind, and he twisted and turned before pulling the trigger. He was a yard wayward in terms of accuracy.

United's set pieces were good, but Edmondson didn't know too much about a ripper from Moxon that came through a ruck and off his thigh. The rebound was kind for Sinisalo to grasp.

There was another scare in front of the Warwick when Trevitt showed patience before breaking the lines with a through ball to Mitchell. He popped it to the far post but Rankine lost his bearings as he rifled it into the Warwick.

It had an excellent tempo to it, and Maguire and Edmondson kept things crisp as they made space for Back to exploit. There were plenty up in support but Hartridge got a boot in the way.

Persistence was the order of the day on 35 minutes as, whenever one move was stopped, another was sparked by the hosts. Back was an outlet, and Mellish was alert when his cutback was diverted. A close-range volley on the spin was going in until Sinisalo jumped up to touch it over the target.

Huntington had to time his tackle on Trevitt to perfection after Nombe had done the hard yards to poke it into the box just before the break. The intervention was another example of great defending.

There was controversy on 38 minutes when Mitchell sliced Back to the floor in what was a cynical challenge, with the defender seeking to stride away on an attack. It was a clear yellow card - what would have been a second for the Exeter man - but the referee chose not to give it.

It wouldn't quite sit for United at the start of the second half after Moxon had lobbed one into the area. Edmondson chested it, Gibson controlled it, and Armer had his instinctive connection charged down.

Back then found a superb delivery and Armer was ready to finish it off until Rankine leaped in the way.

It was all about the Cumbrians and Sinisalo had to go for safety first when a Moxon free kick dipped over the wall. He parried, but Mellish wasted no time at all in getting it back into the mix. Maguire was firm with a header but the stopper had it covered.

Gibson was then delightful with a 20-yard pass that found Maguire with his back to goal. He held his man off and forced another reaction save out of Sinisalo when he rattled it low through legs.

That man Gibson was the spare runner moments later when the ball was recycled his way. The cross was just an inch too far behind Edmondson as he tried to stretch his neck for the header.

Carlisle had defending to do when Trevitt found a yard with just Holy to beat. Huntington and Back quickly closed it off before the strike was completed.

Back was fierce in the tackle in front of the dugouts just past the hour and Carlisle were sharp as they threw men forward. A huge pass from Maguire was taken down by Gibson, and Hartridge had to recover to get the block before the forwards could finish it.

The Grecians were a whisker away when a Cole corner was glanced a millimetre wide by Sweeney, and Rankine made the byeline in the next attack with a jinking run. The Cole delivery from that was another tester, and Ryan Trevitt kept his cool to find the back of the net from 19-yards with a driven volley when a half clearance rolled his way.

Set pieces almost had a say at the other end when Moxon and Armer were on the button. The free kick from the midfielder was followed by a corner from the defender, and Huntington was close with a downward header as he made it his own. Sinisalo moved over to catch it.

United were undone with 10 minutes left to go when Mitchell arrived late to poke a deflected effort into the bottom corner from close in after Aitchison had ghosted into space to create the moment. 

Lavelle nodded an Armer corner wide as the Blues looked to reduce the two-goal deficit, and Butterworth forced another as he caused problems out wide. That was cleared long.

Exeter closed the game out through the final minutes, with a late surge and shot from Butterworth close until Sinisalo grasped it, and Carlisle were punished for not making the best of their periods of good possession and dominance.

+++++++

Match Sponsor - JJ Group
Associate Sponsor - Gordons Construction
Match Ball Sponsor - MKM

+++++++

Goals

Exeter City - Trevitt (68), Mitchell (81)

+++++++

Bookings

Exeter City - Mitchell (25)

+++++++

Teams

Carlisle United - Holy, Lavelle, Huntington (c), Mellish (McCalmont 78), Back, Gibson (Butterworth 64), Moxon, Guy (Charters 78), Armer, Edmondson (Plange 64), Maguire. Subs - Andresson, Garner, Barclay. 

Exeter City - Sinisalo, Jules (Cox 62), Aimson (c), Hartridge, Mitchell (Harper 86), Trevitt, Nombe, Cole, Rankine, Sweeney, Aitchison (Diabate 86). Subs - Woods (gk), Carroll, Taylor, Borges.

+++++++

Match officials

Referee - Adam Herczeg
Assistant Referee 1 - Graeme Fyvie
Assistant Referee 2 - Mark Cunliffe
Fourth Official - Wayne Grunnill
Observer - Scott Duncan
Coach - Graham Laws

+++++++

Attendance - 7,610 (318)