After close to a fortnight without a fixture, United return to action for the visit of Bolton Wanderers.
And manager Paul Simpson made just one change from the side that narrowly lost at Barnsley as Jack Robinson replaced Jack Armer.
The Blues' latest two additions - Jack Diamond and Josh Vela - both took their place among the substitutes.
In front of a bumper crowd at Brunton Park, it was Bolton who made much of the early running and the visitors had the first real opening of the game on six minutes as Zac Ashworth's curling free-kick was held by Harry Lewis at the second attempt.
Paris Maghoma then saw a strike kept out by the Carlisle stopper before Owen Moxon and Luke Armstrong combined to forge United's first chance - the latter teeing-up Dan Butterworth who fired over from 20 yards.
But it was still Wanderers creating the more serious chances and Jack Ellis had to bravely block a goalbound Maghoma shot after he was picked out by Kyle Dempsey's cut-back.
Simpson tweaked things tactically as the Cumbrians looked to get a foothold in the game, pushing Jon Mellish forward into midfield and switching to a back four.
And the change had an immediate impact - United forcing a corner which went short to Butterworth, and his eventual cross was met by Paul Huntington whose header wasn't able to find the target.
Bolton, though, came back and took the lead just after the half hour mark. Josh Sheehan's cross-field ball picked out Ashworth and his lofted effort from just inside the area looped over Lewis.
Carlisle responded well and were almost level within minutes. Alfie McCalmont took his time on the right flank and swung in a fine cross which was met by Mellish - who steered his glancing header agonisingly wide of the back post.
A second would come for the Trotters before the break though, and it was the lively Maghoma who netted. After a cross was worked to him on the edge of the area, the midfielder showed compsure to side-step his man before slotting into the bottom corner.
Half-time saw Diamond and Jordan Gibson introduced for the Blues, and it was the latter of the duo who had the first opportunity after the restart.
Mellish battled past Sheehan on the left flank before digging out a cross which was flicked on by Armstrong, with Gibson then sending an acrobatic effort wide from 12 yards.
The winger contined to pose a threat and saw a first-time strike from range arc high of the bar after Sam Lavelle's knock-down found him in space.
United were starting to dictate proceedings and Mellish forced Nathan Baxter into a fingertip stop and after he spun 25 yards and let fly with a powerful effort. The resultant corner also yielded an opportunity after the Bolton stopper couldn't claim, but no Carlisle boot could turn the ball home.
A deserved goal would come with 20 minutes remaining though. Jack Robinson's cross wasn't convincingly cleared by Sheehan and Gibson was on hand to thrash home a strike in at the near post to half the deficit.
But Bolton almost restored their two-goal advantage shortly after, as Dion Charles flashed a strike narrowly over from a tight angle.
Both sides made changes in the final ten minutes and one of those introduced by the visitors - Cameron Jerome - was denied by Lewis after finding a pocket of space in the area.
A third would come for Ian Evatt's side though, as Jon Dadi Bodvarsson's reverse pass found Dempsey who swept home from close range in injury time.
And Nathaniel Ogbeta added a fourth late on, finishing from the edge of the box to wrap-up the points.
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Match Sponsor – MKM
Associate Sponsor – Cecil Street Auto Repairs
Match Ball Sponsor – Heineken
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Goals
Carlisle United - Gibson (71)
Bolton Wanderers - Ashworth (31), Maghoma (36), Dempsey (90+1), Ogbeta (90+6)
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Bookings
Carlisle United - Neal (51)
Bolton Wanderers - Toal (62), Dacres-Cogley (85)
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Teams
Carlisle United - Lewis, Moxon (Vela 76), Lavelle, Huntington, McCalmont (Gibson 46), Butterworth (Diamond 46), Ellis, Robinson, Mellish, Neal (Garner 80), Armstrong. Subs: Breeze, Maguire, Grehan.
Bolton Wanderers - Baxter, Iredale, Santos, Sheehan, Charles (Jerome 74), Dacres-Cogley, Adeboyejo (Bodvarsson 74), Toal, Maghoma (Morley 82), Dempsey (Mendes-Gomes 90+3), Ashworth (Ogbeta 90+3). Subs: Coleman, Matheson.
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Match officials
Referee - Scott Oldham
Assistant Referee 1 - Lewis Raper
Assistant Referee 2 - Alex Gray
Fourth Official - Richard Aspinall
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Attendance – 11,443 (3,044 away)
