United miss string of late chances ...
A heavy Bury playing surface beat the overnight downpours and it was the home side who took the points thanks to a brace from Nardiello and a string of missed late opportunities from the visitors which could and should have earned them a point.
The home side asked the early questions and a deep corner from Tutte found the dangerous Nardiello unmarked at the back stick. His header across the face of goal was hooked clear by Archibald-Henville as Hope closed in.
A training ground corner routine was the response from United but a near post delivery from Dempsey was easily cleared. Hope peeled away and called for it as the home side broke but his shot from the edge of the area was smothered by a retreating Mark Gillespie.
A spin and shot on the turn from danger man Hope spun harmlessly wide of the upright as Bury kept the momentum up, and a thundering Nardiello header from another well taken corner was ruled out for a push on O'Hanlon just as it dropped over the line.
The Bury pressure was eventually made to pay when quick feet from Mayor took him past a challenge from Griffith. Matt Young threw a boot out to make the block and the referee had no hesitation in pointing at the spot as the player fell to the floor. Danny Nardiello did the rest as he sent Gillespie the wrong way.
Mayor almost bagged a goal of his own as Bury stayed forward when he let one fly from distance through a ruck of bodies. The stopper had go full length to tip it away as it threatened to creep into the bottom corner.
Carlisle recovered from the early blow in dramatic style when Dempsey dribbled the ball from right to left. His shot was blocked but Meppen-Walter was there with a stinging follow up which Pope could only parry. Steven Rigg made it two goals in two games when he was first out of the blocks to sweep the loose ball into the waiting net.
Hope and Meppen-Walter exchanged speculative efforts as the game swung from end to end, and Rigg was unlucky not to add another when Grainger curled a beauty of a free kick into the box. His flick had power but it lacked direction.
Both sides cancelled each other as the action moved into midfield but Bury went close again with a patient build up down the right flank. A cut back for Soares took him to the byline and his ball inside left Hope with plenty to do. His shot from the angle went into the side netting.
The same player was thwarted by an unbelievable block on the line from Danny Grainger when a quick exchange of passes opened the yellow shirts up. The team captain retreated and received prolonged thanks from his team mates as the ball skimmed off his head and flew narrowly wide.
An interception from Grainger sparked a Carlisle attack on the stroke of half time when he nicked possession on the half way line. A one-two with Sweeney followed and the midfielder was unlucky when he popped his header wide as the cross came into the box.
United sat deep after the break and Bury struggled to find a way through as their balls forward were dealt with by the attentive defence. Hope was close when Nardiello went past Grainger, as the team captain appeared to twist his ankle, but he couldn't keep his volley down and it flew into the sky.
The Shakers regained the lead when Archibald-Henville misjudged a long ball forward which spun into his path. Nardiello was onto it like a flash and he drew the keeper before cheekily clipping it into the far corner.
Substitute David Amoo had a shot on the spin blocked at source as Carlisle tried to bounce back and he was close again when he lost his man for a near post cross with plenty of away shirts in the box. He took his eye off it and his header fell well wide of the upright.
Nardiello spurned an opportunity to grab his hat-trick from the spot, when Sweeney was penalised for handball inside the box, as Gillespie watched the shot and dived low to push it away.
Carlisle almost punished the miss at the other end when it fell nicely for Rigg inside the box. He did nothing wrong as he rifled a firm volley into the ground but Pope produced the save of the day as he somehow reached out to push it over the bar.
Bury had more chances to kill the game off, with Soares wasteful from close range, but David Amoo was left with his head in his hands as he somehow powered a free header wide, from just seven yards out, when it looked to all in the ground that he was about to pick his spot.
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Goals
Bury - Nardiello (16 pen, 62)
United - Rigg (22)
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Bookings
Bury - Hussey (87)
United - Meppen-Walter (47)
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Teams
Bury - Pope, Jones, Tutte (Sedgwick 84), El-Abd, Etuhu, Hope (Adams 62), Mayor, Hussey, Nardiello (Rose 78), Soares, Cameron. Subs - McNulty, O’Brien, Ruddy, Dudley.
Carlisle United - Gillespie, Young, O'Hanlon, Archibald-Henville, Grainger (Amoo 58), Meppen-Walter, Griffith (Beck 80), Potts (Wyke 71), Dempsey, Sweeney, Rigg. Subs - Hanford, Thirlwell, Brough, Asamoah.
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Referee - Mr Carl Boyeson
Attendance - 3,589 (806 away fans)
