United were back on home turf following two tough away trips with Crewe Alexandra back in Cumbria for the first time in three years.
Manager Paul Simpson went with the same starters for a third game in a row, having taken four points from a possible six from the past week.
Morgan Feeney and Omari Patrick were on the bench, following injury absences, with Ryan Carr and Jack Ellis stepping down.
United kicked towards the Warwick and into the blustery wind from the off and it was never going to be easy as the ball caught and held up every time they looked to get it forward.
The home side defended well, and they created the first opening when Guy floated the ball wide to Back. He put Gibson on a run down the right flank, but his initial cross was cut out. Moxon was there to latch onto the loose ball and, encouraged by the crowd, he let fly with his right boot. It took a deflection and angled past the post.
The corner was nodded clear at the back stick, but Back was able to nudge it into the mix as it came his way. Armer was a whisker away from finishing it off as it skipped off the surface in front of his boot.
Excellent movement from Moxon, Gibson and Back saw them pass their way into a dangerous area, with Gibson the one to step out and deliver. Dennis challenged but Offord got enough on it to take it away from his head.
A surging run from Agyei earned a corner when his cross on the run was cut out, and Mellor pulled off his marker to nod it into the six-yard box. Holy came off his line smartly to grasp it.
Closing down and harrying almost paid dividend when United overturned possession high up the pitch. Dennis was suddenly clean through, but the offside flag was quickly raised.
More pressing brought panic at the back for the away team when Brook lost out to the energetic Fin Back. Dennis fed it to Moxon, who picked out Armer, and his cross begged to be met. McDonald got there first and the lines were cleared.
Crewe were on the attack when Mellor stepped over the halfway line with purpose, and Agyei took over with an effort from distance. Holy had it covered.
That sparked a better spell for the Alex and Williams got the ball out of his feet with a run out of his own territory. Sambou asked for it, and his rifled volley was stopped by Holy, who used his body to good effect. Mellish helped it on its way.
Sambou put a 30-yard free kick into the wall as chances remained at a premium, but United almost provided a spark when Guy spread it to Back just before the break. Gibson helped out, but Back took matters into his own hands with a touch and a delivery. Dennis glanced a header from 12-yards but it fizzed past the upright.
The Cumbrians upped the pace and another testing cross had Whelan interested, as he lunged after it with Offord on his shoulder. The defender got there first, and that left Moxon to send the corner in. That eventually came to Dennis but the header was a difficult one and Okonkwo gathered it into his chest as it dropped out of the sky.
Whelan was there to clear from an Adebisi cross at the start of the second period, before it could become anything more meaningful, but it was Gibson who provided a real test when he put his laces through a backheel from Whelan. It had venom and power, from all of 30-yards out, and Okonkwo had to dive low to beat it away.
A wicked, dipping, inswinger of a corner from Moxon had to be cleared from almost off the line as the keeper was left rooted to the spot, with netither side quite managing to find the next gear, and Patrick was sent into the fray by the home manager just before the hour as the game remained tight.
Crewe weren't too far away from finding a way through when Uwakwe clipped a decent set piece into the area after Huntington had felled Thomas. McDonald jumped to meet it but his header was never going to trouble the target.
Better passing from United with Gibson on the right wing invited Guy to send it in, and it appeared that Armer was going to get there until the wind blew it off course.
Most of the action remained in the middle portion of the pitch, with Sambou wild when he had half a chance as he tried to shrug his way past Whelan.
Mellish was moved into midfield for the final 17 minutes of normal time, with a defensive back four employed, and Patrick tried his luck as he shielded the ball before cutting back into space. He went for a curled poke but the stopper watched it fall into his gloves.
Carlisle almost hit on the counter when Dennis latched onto a pass from Moxon, and Back took the delivery on first time with a flighted clip. Yet again a gust of wind made it easier for Okonkwo to deal with.
Crewe had an outlet through Uwakwe, who did well to get into the box, but Agyei was wasteful with a poor connection that took it into the Warwick.
A late corner from Uwakwe fell to King, who was unmarked, but he rushed his volley and blue shirts closed ranks before he could recover to take the shot on.
Agyei then bent a long-range free kick past the post bang on 90 minutes, and Harris won a corner at the other end when his delivery was diverted. Moxon fizzed it, as did Guy when he volleyed. McDonald provided the last block of the day.
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Match Sponsor - Minster
Associate Sponsor - JJ Electrical
Match Ball Sponsor - The Greyhound, Cotehill
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Bookings
Carlisle United - Huntington (60)
Crewe Alexandra - Agyei (30), Williams (35), King (65)
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Teams
Carlisle United - Holy, Whelan (c), Huntington, Mellish, Back, Gibson (Harris 82), Guy (Charters 90), Moxon, Armer, Stretton (Patrick 58), Dennis. Subs - Kelly (gk), Feeney, Bollado, Idehen.
Crewe Alexandra - Okonkwo, Mellor, Williams (Adebisi 40), McDonald, Offord (c), Thomas, Agyei, Brook (Finney 68), Sambou, King, Uwakwe. Subs - Richards (gk), Griffiths, Leshabela, Sass-Davies, Tabiner.
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Match officials
Referee - Ross Joyce
Assistant Referee 1 - Daniel Woodward
Assistant Referee 2 - Lewis Raper
Fourth Official - Graeme Fyvie
Observer - James Devine
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Attendance - 5,012 (212)