United's busy run of games continued today with the relatively short trip to face Preston North End in Lancashire.
The young Blues were out of the blocks quickly with a smart finish on the turn from Max Brown, with just two minutes on the clock, and the visitors had more chances to add to their first half tally as the game swung from end-to-end.
Preston pushed forward after the break, and they struck the bar just before the hour with a blistering close range shot from Walker.
The hosts kept coming, without quite managing to find a way through, but disaster appeared to have struck for the Cumbrians with just four minutes left to play when Jay Kelly was sent off for an off-the-ball incident, deemed to have taken place inside the box.
Jack Baxter stepped up to take it but he fluffed his lines when he blazed his spot kick over the bar.
The ten men regrouped and they worked hard to see the game out to a morale boosting victory, as the Lilywhites hit the woodwork once again in time added on.
United - Ward, Kelly, Brockbank, Hutchinson, Taylor, Watson, Dixon, Adewusi, Brown (Cowburn 65), Papa, McCarron. Subs - Ashton, Miller, Casson, Lloyd.
Goal - Brown (2)
Booking - Brockbank (73)
Sent off - Kelly (86)
