United were back on home turf for the second time in just four days when they welcomed Newport County to Brunton Park.
Boss Chris Beech made two changes from the Saturday fixture with Jack Bridge and Josh Kayode in for Jon Mellish and the injured Harry McKirdy.
United lost the toss and were made to kick towards the Warwick Road End in the first half, and they mounted the first attack of the night when Patrick showed excellent footwork on the halfway line. Alessandra, Mike Jones, Gethin Jones and Watt got involved before Patrick pulled wide to deliver a cross. Kayode got there first, but his header was easy to save.
Newport responded with a move through the heart of midfield which saw Gorman run from deep. It opened up in front of him but his shot on the run angled well wide.
The Blues were ahead with just five minutes on the clock when Watt placed the ball for a corner kick. Patrick peeled off his marker to meet it, and his header left King with no chance as it looped into the bottom corner.
Fleet of foot at the other end saw Green work his way into the Carlisle box, and he won a corner as his run was checked. An inswinger from Willmott caused all kinds of problems, but efforts from Amond and Demetriou were charged down. A second set piece was nodded high by Amond but Hayden was there quickly to get things under control.
United continued to enjoy some good spells of possession, but crosses from Alessandra and Patrick were helped on their way as Newport kept their shape.
A flowing move on 20 minutes deserved a goal as Alessandra started a passage of play which saw the ball shift quickly from left to right. It went from him to Kayode, on to Bridge, and then into the path of Gethin Jones as he overlapped, but King stepped off his line to make a diving save as a low cross invited Kayode to make a near post run.
The lead was doubled for the Blues when the lively Jack Bridge was felled by Gorman as he twisted his way into the box. Referee Graham Salisbury had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, and Josh Kayode demonstrated that he has an old head on young shoulders when he waited for the whistle before he rattled a beauty of a penalty past the dive of King, who had thrown himself at it as he guessed the right way.
Carlisle had to take care just before the break when Green spun Mike Jones in midfield before sprinting towards the box. His cross found Amond in space, but a heavy first touch from the forward gave Gethin Jones the opportunity he needed to close things down. The right back made an excellent block just as the trigger was pulled.
A tough night for the visitors got tougher on the stroke of half time when Inniss chopped Kayode to the floor with what was a reckless challenge. The match official pulled the red card out of his pocket immediately, and Aaron Hayden was booked for his reaction to the incident.
And Alessandra was within a heartbeat of adding to the home lead in time added on when a cut back from Bridge ricocheted his way. A drilled volley brought a brave block from Sheehan, and the follow up shot from the same man took a wicked deflection, which was enough to send it wide of the upright.
The Exiles had a bright start to the second period, but it was Carlisle who created the better of the half chances when Patrick played Bridge into the area with a neat reverse pass. Watt arrived late, but he had to stretch and his toe poke went straight at King.
And midfielder Mike Jones was a whisker away from scoring a goal of the season contender following a corner, which had been handed to the Blues on a plate after a wild slice from King was complemented by an even wilder slice from Bennett. The half clearance from the delivery was met by a stinging, superbly executed volley from Jones, and he was disappointed to see it shave the bar as it fizzed into the terracing behind the goal.
Striker Lewis Alessandra was next to have a go when he caught the ball on the sweet spot from 30 yards out. King could only parry it as it swirled right at him, but the keeper was able to breathe again as the clearance was completed.
The visitors should have got back into it on the hour mark when a corner from Willmott was headed high. Two gold shirts came together in their haste to make something of it and the eventual thunderbolt was sprayed high and wide.
Alessandra was suddenly finding space and room as he gave the back line a torrid time and he brought the best out of King with a crunching effort which needed both hands from the stopper to send it wide as he dived long.
Carlisle should have had a second penalty on 65 minutes when Gethin Jones overlapped before cutting it back for Patrick to strike. The goal bound rasper struck Willmott's hand, and the referee was in a good position to see it, but he decided to wave play on despite the protestations which followed from both on and off the pitch.
The threat was all about the home side and a clever stepover from Kayode left Patrick with a chance to shoot. Block followed block, and Newport cleared their lines to spark an attack of their own. Labadie did well to make space, and his clipped delivery was met by Green. His 16-yard volley was on target but it lacked power and purpose and Collin gathered it up.
United were reminded that there was still work to do when a deep free kick wormed its way to Labadie. He should have done better but, just 10 yards out, he somehow managed to skew his attempt wide.
The hosts stepped things up again and an eyecatching piece of skill from Kayode allowed him to leave his marker for dead. Patrick asked for it, but his grasscutter across the face of goal was just too far in front of Kayode. It was recovered at the back stick, but the defence had regrouped and the moment was gone.
Anderton and Hunt had blocks to make through the closing stages, as the visitors tried to get something from the encounter, but it was comfortable for the Blues who had answered their manager's call for a response with a performance that set the scene for their deserved 'three-point feeling.'
+++++++
Goals
Carlisle United - Patrick (5), Kayode (33 pen)
+++++++
Bookings
Carlisle United - Hayden (45), Anderton (57)
Newport County - Inniss (sent off, 44, late challenge on Kayode)
+++++++
Teams
Carlisle United - Collin (gk)(c), G Jones, Hunt, Hayden, Anderton, Patrick (Iredale 86), M Jones, Watt, Bridge (Thomas 69), Alessandra, Kayode (Charters 79). Subs - Dewhurst (gk), Mellish, Scougall, Olomola.
Newport County - King (gk), Haynes, Gorman, Willmott, Dolan (Labadie 12), Amond (Matt 57), Sheehan (c), Bennett, Inniss, Demetriou, Green (Waters 82). Subs - Howkins, Abrahams, Collins, Khan.
+++++++
Match officials
Referee - Graham Salisbury
Assistant Referee 1 - Natalie Aspinall
Assistant Referee 2 - Matthew Parry
Fourth Official - Paul Newhouse
+++++++
Attendance - 2,822 (49 away fans)
