United headed into the Tuesday night game with a five-game unbeaten run to protect, and manager Chris Beech went with an unchanged starting eleven for a fourth game in a row.
New arrival Micah Obiero took a place on the bench, with Lewis Bell also recalled to the substitute ranks.
Well, where do we start!
The Blues were ahead inside the first minute when former-Morecambe front man Lewis Alessandra raced towards the Waterworks End from deep. He had support, and he clipped a lovely ball through for Kayode to cross. The forward kept it low and Yann Songo'o was horrified as it hit his shin and spun over the line.
Just two minutes later and the hosts were on the hunt again, and Mellish was well advanced as he looked to help Alessandra, Tanner, Riley and Kayode, who had done a good job of turning the back line inside out. He dropped his shoulder and sent the ball over, and Turner could do nothing as it dipped over his head and into the far corner.
As a side note, that took the midfielder's tally to six goals in seven October games.
It was all about Carlisle and more good work from midfield saw Kayode break through. Turner did well to get close enough to make the block and prevent what looked a certain goal.
With no time to take a break Alessandra went on another forceful surge as he angled a run to go past two challenges. He was suddenly clean through, but Turner dived full length to take the ball from his toe just as he shaped to finish it off.
All of this was inside the first 12 minutes, with the Cumbrians looking like they'd score every time they crossed the halfway line.
Things settled down for a spell, and Morecambe showed as an attacking force when Gomes Mendes hung the ball up as he looked for the run from Mellor. McDonald stayed close and the header from the right back rose away from the target.
Toure had half a sight at the other end, when he combined with Riley to make space, but his effort from distance was too close to Turner.
A huge throw from Kayode followed as United regained the forward momentum, and the flick from Toure sat up nicely for Alessandra, who was positioned on the penalty spot. His fierce volley was going in until Turner jumped high to tip it over the bar.
The Shrimps broke just after the half hour and Wildig tried to bully his way through as he reached the edge of the area. His shot was blocked, and the follow up from the same man dropped comfortably for Farman to grasp.
There was some good passing and movement on show from the home team and Tanner and Riley stayed close as they brought Mellish into play. He kept a 24-yarder low but it skipped past the upright.
A challenge from Joe Riley on Songo'o brought anger from the Morecambe bench just before the break, but a yellow card was shown despite the vociferous comments from the away staff.
Morecambe tried to find a way back and O'Sullivan threaded a pass through as Slew shook off his man. Another snapshot was blocked, and Farman did well from the corner to punch it away.
United had a quiet claim for a penalty when Mellish had his heel kicked just as he turned away from a tackle. His shot skewed wide and the referee showed no interest in his remonstrations as he was dumped to the floor.
Mellish was the man on the spot again when he picked the ball up halfway inside the visiting half. He let fly, but he pulled it wide.
Carlisle survived a scare with the last kick of the first half when Sam Lavelle got on the end of a Wildig free kick. He was off balance as he connected with a header and it bobbled harmlessly towards the corner flag.
A spin and turn from Alessandra took him on a forward run at the start of the second period, and his delivery across the face of goal was begging to be tucked away.
Midfielder Callum Guy then sent a free kick into the box, and Hayden did enough to get it to Toure. He went for glory but he couldn't keep it down.
Carlisle continued to ask questions and a deflected shot from Alessandra from 19-yards left Turner rooted to the line. He watched in relief as it twisted into the side netting.
The corner delivery from Guy ricocheted around inside the box, as Hayden and Kayode kept it alive, and Farman had to be on his toes at the other end when O'Sullivan dropped deep for a pass from Wildig. A low delivery came but the keeper got there quickly.
Even better from Farman followed when substitute Adam Phillips forced a path towards goal. The keeper spread himsef to make a fantastic stop with his thigh, and then with his hand.
Morecambe were back in it with 11 minutes to play when a dipping corner was met on the full by Songo'o. He got enough on it to guide it into the bottom corner and to ensure that it would be a nervy finish.
But any doubts were calmed when George Tanner, who had spent a spell on-loan at Morecambe last season, restored the two-goal cushion with a blistering run and an equally blistering finish.
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Goals
Carlisle United - Songo'o (og 23 secs), Mellish (3), Tanner (87)
Morecambe - Songo'o (79)
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Bookings
Carlisle United - Riley (37), Reilly (89)
Morecambe - O'Sullivan (50), Songo'o (81)
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Teams
Carlisle United - Farman, Tanner, Hayden, McDonald, Anderton (c), Riley (Furman 77), Guy, Mellish, Alessandra (Obiero 87), Kayode, Toure (Reilly 73). Subs - Dewhurst (gk), Devine, Hunt, Bell.
Morecambe - Turner (gk), Mellor, Hendrie, Knight-Percival, Lavelle, Slew, Diagouraga (McAinden 85), Wildig, Gomes Mendes (Phillips 59), O'Sullivan (Price 79), Songo'o. Subs - Halstead, Kenyon, Pringle, Cooney.
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Match officials
Referee - Ross Joyce
Assistant Referee 1 - Graeme Fyvie
Assistant Referee 2 - David Avent
Fourth Official - Andy Haines
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Attendance - behind closed doors
