United hosted Wigan at Brunton Park on Tuesday night and it was a first start for forward Sean Maguire as he returned from his weekend of compassionate leave.

Midfielder Owen Moxon had rid himself of his illness, and Jack Ellis was in at right back with Fin Back still under the Nottingham Forest recovery regime. 

Manager Paul Simpson went with a four-diamond-two formation with Mellish pushed forward.

Both teams looked lively from the off and Wigan won a corner when a cross from Aasgaard was charged down. The delivery from that was low and easily dealt with.

The visitors came again McManaman and Clare clipped it back and forward as they worked their way into the box. A low fizzed delivery was just too far in front of Wyke.

Pearce had space out on the left and he went deep again as he searched for McManaman. A first-time volley was actually more of a clearance than a shot.

A spin from Callum Lang on the halfway line saw him turn into space. He got his head down as he angled towards the box, and he let fly when a gap opened up. It was always heading into the Warwick.

Carlisle had men forward on 12 minutes and Gibson sent a beauty of a delivery towards the six-yard area. Hughes got there before Edmondson or Maguire could finish it off.

Back at the other end and McManaman bent one off his left foot after Clare had overlapped. Holy dived but he was comfortable enough to watch it on its way.

The red shirts probed and Aasgaard was left unmarked in a central position. He went for it from 22-yards but it was a foot too high.

Moxon ripped a snapshot wide from distance as United looked to cause problems, and Mellish and Edmondson were tigerish in their approach during the follow up as they looked to force the issue. Another grasscutter went untouched.

The woodwork came into play as Wyke stole a yard to meet a Pearce centre. It bounced up off the floor via the slightest of touches from Lavelle and fell behind off the roof of the bar.

Wigan took the lead on 34 minutes when a loose pass from Guy left Adeeko with space to exploit inside his own territory. His turn of pace had the Cumbrians troubled, and Wyke moved off a shoulder to take a touch. That left him with just Holy to beat and the neatest of flicks over the advancing stopper sent it into the bottom corner.

Big defender Charlie Hughes was close to doubling the lead just before the break when he met a Pearce set piece with a crunching header. It smashed against the upright and ricocheted off to safety.

Determined work from Maguire resulted in a corner in time added on for the hosts but Tickle was off his line to punch as it dropped out of the air. There was confusion as the keeper lost his bearings when Ellis recycled it, but he was awarded a free kick when he took to the grass.

United stayed up in numbers and Gibson flighted it over heads, with Edmondson interested. A downward header had the fans on their feet but it spun past the target.

Holy had to keep a close eye on the ball as it came low through bodies from McManaman at the start of the second period, and he did well to keep it close to his chest.

United's keeper was excellent when Clare got a shout from Adeeko for a through ball. The cut back invited Aasgaard to rifle it but his 17-yard thunderbolt was parried by firm hands.

Owen Moxon left two in his wake as he pushed on, but his initial effort was charged down. But Carlisle weren't about to give it up, and Gibson did well to win it back. He peeled away to the right flank to take a cheeky pass from Gibson on his toe. A whipped shot took a deflection, but Moxon got there first to leather it into the waiting net to register his second of the season.

Tickle had to go full stretch to claw a cross that became a shot from beneath the bar as the home crowd urged their team to go for it, but they had defending to do as Aasgaard and Pearce advanced. Guy, who took care to keep his hands out of the way when he stumbled, made sure the danger was stifled.

Moxon was precise when he set Gibson free on the left flank and Plange pulled off a shoulder to make the header possible. It curled agonisingly past the post.

Plange was involved again when he found a great delivery, and Moxon was frustrated when his volley lost its way.

Wigan were close with 10 minutes to go when Clare fed it for Humphrys, who had headed away on a break. He drilled it across the face of goal but Lang was too far away to meet it as he threw himself at it. And Lang was guilty of a glaring miss when he once again latched onto good work from Humphrys. He tried a lob but it had too much on it.

Ten minutes of additional time were added, and Plange and Edmondson tried to make use of the first of them when the ball arrowed towards the penalty spot. A red shirt got in the way in the nick of time.

United peppered the box without getting the breaks, and the Latics had moments from out wide, but the combatants had to settle for a share of the spoils in what was a pulsating atmosphere under the lights.

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Goals

Carlisle United - Moxon (56)

Wigan Athletic - Wyke (34)

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Bookings

Carlisle United - Mellish (54), Maguire (67), Skelton (75), Armer (83), Lavelle (90+9)

Wigan Athletic - Clare (19), Pearce (59)

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Teams

Carlisle United - Holy, Lavelle, Huntington (c), Mellish, Ellis (Barclay 83), Moxon (Charters 83), Guy, Gibson, Armer, Maguire (Plange 67), Edmondson. Subs - Andresson, McCalmont, Butterworth, Garner.

Wigan Athletic - Tickle, Pearce, Morrison, Hughes, Clare, Smith, Wyke (Magennis 70), Aasgaard (Sze 90), Lang (c), McManaman (Humphrys 70), Adeeko. Subs - Amos (gk), Watts, Shaw, Smith.

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Match officials

Referee - Marc Edwards
Assistant Referee 1 - Paul Newhouse
Assistant Referee 2 - Conor Brown
Fourth Official - Scott Jackson
Observer - James Devine

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Attendance - 8,649 (1,405 away fans)