Heat that can only be described as blistering engulfed Borough Park as United faced Workington in their second pre-season on Saturday afternoon.
Almost 750 fans braved the rays with the smell of factor 50 almost as strong as the hint of sunburned skin as the terraces started to fill up ahead of kick off.
Trialist keeper George Sykes-Kenworthy protected the nets for the away side with Manny Mampala given another run-out as he continues his stay with the club.
If truth be told the Carlisle target was largely untroubled, with former-Blues Dan Wordsworth and Steven Rigg enjoying the best of the efforts for the hosts either side of the break.
United went close to drawing first blood when Mampala closed down on a poor clearance with just 32 seconds on the clock. He tried to work space but his route to goal was quickly cut off.
The visiting pressure mounted as they looked after the ball and Guy flashed a snapshot wide from distance when he was left unmarshalled. He then combined with Clough to send the front man on the overlap, but a whisked delivery zipped untouched across the face of goal.
Carlisle took the lead on 13 minutes when another miscued pass, this time from Hubbold, invited Clough to stride forward. He made it four goals in two games when he curled a beauty past Atkinson, who could only watch in horror.
A lobbed header from Wordsworth had too much on it when he got on the end of a Symington set piece, but it was a rare attack as the red shirts were once again pushed back.
And more good work from Clough opened things up for Mampala, who still had work to do as he received a fizzed pass. His touch put him beyond Wordsworth and a crisp finish left Atkinson with no chance as it flew past the stranded stopper to bulge the net.
Chances were at a premium after the break, as the rising temperature brought a dilution of the tempo, but a spin from Mampala gave him room to cross. The onrushing Corey Whelan was a whisker away as he threw himself at it in an attempt to connect with his head.
The scoring was wrapped up for the afternoon when Clough drew a tackle before threading the ball into the box for Taylor Charters to chase. The young midfielder kept his cool as he set himself to drill his shot under the advancing Atkinson.
Striker Zach Clough was disappointed to touch a grasscutter wide from close range, after he’d been picked out by Alesssandra, and Riley had a thunderbolt charged down after he wound his way through a ruck of bodies as the clock ticked down.
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Teams
Workington - Atkinson, Clarke, Charlton (Gooden 58), Wordsworth, Lightfoot (Howarth 86), Hubbold, Symington (Hebson 58), Trialist (Casson 46), Rigg (Jerome 58), Allison, Tinnion (Carroll 46). Subs - Eccles.
Carlisle United - Sykes-Kenworthy, Armer, McDonald, Feeney, Whelan, Guy, Riley, Charters, Alessandra (c) (Taylor 85), Clough (Garvey 85), Mampala. Subs - Simons, Tanner.
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Goals
Carlisle United - Clough (13), Mampala (36), Charters (65)
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Referee - Anthony Backhouse
Assistant - Kevin Mulraine
Assistant - Adam Pattison
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Attendance - 748
