United were at the Montgomery Waters Meadow for their Carabao Cup first-round meeting with Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night.
There were four changes to the team from the weekend trip to Colchester with Jayden Harris, Sonny Hilton, Omari Patrick and Corey Whelan in for Owen Moxon, Jordan Gibson, Kristian Dennis and Morgan Feeney.
Skipper Feeney was missing through injury, with Whelan handed the captain's armband in his absence.
United had half a shout for a penalty with just five minutes on the clock when Hayden slid in to win a challenge in midfield. Patrick asked for it, and he immediately returned the favour for the midfielder to chase. Moore barged him out of the way and the referee waved play on as the pair tumbled.
A well worked home free kick saw Leahy send it wide for Shipley to cross as he set off on an unexpected ramble. It ripped across the face of goal and Pyke lurked at the back stick as it came his way. His volley was on target but Holy was there to make the catch.
United took the lead on 13 minutes with a devastatingly slick move. Harris started it with a determined stance, and his through ball after he'd made it his was perfect for Hilton, who angled his run into the box. He kept his cool as he rolled it into the mix and Edmondson opened his account with a sublime finish.
Holy was needed at the other end when the Shrews responded with an almost identical move. Pyke pulled it back as he overlapped and Leahy met the bounce of the ball. It was going in off his volley until the keeper went full length to palm it to safety.
The Carlisle stopper was excellent again when Pyke intercepted a pass out from Hilton. The wide man stepped on and shot low, through legs, but an outstretched arm brought a tip round the upright.
United had a great chance to double their advantage when they sliced a path open down the left flank. Patrick found Hilton when he arrived in support, but he missed his connection and the ball ricocheted behind.
Guy was alert on the halfway line when a wayward clearance came right at him, with the away team still looking in control. A crisp touch allowed a neat pass and Patrick walked through a tackle to go into the area. He aimed for the far corner but Marosi dropped to make the block.
Holy was off his line and on his toes to prevent Udoh from bursting clean through as the compact United shape kept the hosts at bay, and his clearance found Harris, who took it out of the air. Hilton's drive from a clipped pass smashed into Dunkley as the home crowd started to get restless.
Mellish was brave when he sprinted out to smother a thunderbolt from Pennington just ahead of the break. It was heading for the top corner until he got in the way.
A foul on Udoh by Whelan, dead centre and 20 yards out, had hearts in mouths for the travelling fans behind the goal in time added on for the half, and Leahy made it count as he bent it round the wall and into the back of the net via the underside of the bar.
The Cumbrians won three corners as they came out of the blocks quickly at the start of the second half, with Armer causing havoc for the first. A deflected Dennis shot earned the second, and a dipper of a inswinging cross from Guy that was toe poked by Pennington was the end result of the third. All three deliveries from Hilton were neat and Barclay went closest when he headed the last of the trio wide.
A rising shot from distance from Shipley indicated that the Salop were still in the mood, and Whelan did well to get a boot in the way when Pyke checked before letting fly. It spooned into the air and onto the roof of the net.
Whelan blocked from the same man when the corner was taken short, and Holy was comfortable when a header from a spinning delivery arrowed at him at head height.
It was a decent spell from the home team and Bayliss was the next to blaze high when Pyke, Udoh and Dunkley fashioned an opening for him.
Carlisle were a whisker away from restoring their lead when Moxon put Dennis into a crossing position. Stretton ran in front of his marker and he was disappointed to see his touch hit a defender and bend wide.
Whelan was even closer when he leaped to meet the Hilton corner. His header left Marosi rooted to the spot, but it was an inch the wrong side of the upright.
Stretton put one wide from a Moxon clip as things started to tighten up, and the young forward was denied what looked a certain free kick when he was felled on the edge of the box, only for the officials to say no.
The Shrews took the lead from nowhere with 15 minutes left to play when a cross from the left somehow made its way to Udoh. He trapped it with his back to goal, and left Holy with no chance as he thrashed it into the net with a crunching shot on the turn.
Kristian Dennis made it three goals in three games, with three assists from Owen Moxon, when the midfielder flighted a superb pass into the area. Dennis had lost his marker and his initial trap meant he'd done all of the hard work. He steadied himself and thumped it low and hard into the net, via a touch from Mariso, to level the scores.
But United were stunned on 86 minutes when a free kick was lofted into the area. Pennington bullied his way onto it to put it into the six-yard area, and Chey Dunkley eventually bundled it over the line after he'd dug it out of his feet.
Shrewsbury saw the extended period of added time through to book their place in the Wednesday night second round draw.
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Goals
Shrewsbury Town - Leahy (45), Udoh (75), Dunkley (86)
Carlisle United - Edmondson (13), Dennis (81)
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Bookings
Shrewsbury Town - Leahy (90)
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Teams
Shrewsbury Town - Marosi, Leahy (c), Pennington, Moore (Nurse 46), Udoh (Bowman 85), Pyke (Caton 85), Bloxham (Dacosta 46), Bayliss, Dunkley, Shipley, Flanagan. Subs - Burgoyne (gk), Craig, Barlow, Bevan.
Carlisle United - Holy, Barclay, Whelan (c), Mellish, Back (Gibson 76), Hilton (Devitt 76), Guy, Harris (Moxon 60), Armer, Patrick (Stretton 60), Edmondson (Dennis 36). Subs - Kelly (gk), Ellis, Carr.
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Match officials
Referee - Chris Pollard
Assistant Referee 1 - Adam Ricketts
Assistant Referee 2 - Jack Clench
Fourth Official - Grant Taylor
Observer - Steve Bratt
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Attendance - 2,269 (216)
