Carlisle United exited the FA Youth Cup in the First Round after a 1-0 defeat to Blackpool at Brunton Park.
Billy Whaite’s second-half goal was the difference in a tightly contested clash with both sides easily matched.
Mark Birch made one change from the 3-0 win at Gateshead in the previous round, with Jamie Hodgson coming in at left back for Will Hatton.
Shay Mannix was the first to test Sam Worth in the United goal when he found space on the right of the penalty area and fired low, which was cleared by the Blues stopper’s feet.
Amaru Smith raced down the right in the 12th minute and shot, but Charlie Brier was alert to turn the effort past the post.
Some tenacious work from the Blues midfield pair of Simon Rigby and Jonah Lowes allowed Smith to drive at the Seasiders' defence, with his shot troubling Brier at his near post.
Theo Upton had Worth at full stretch in the 34th minute when he fired a dipping effort at range, which the United keeper firmly pushed away.
Neat footwork from Smith allowed him to drive down the left, but his low strike drifted wide.
A long punt from Rigby saw Seb Mason run through on goal, with a coming together between him and Brier allowing Reuben Towers to shoot into an unguarded net, but he blasted his effort over.
HALF-TIME: Carlisle United 0-0 Blackpool
Mannix had the first opportunity of the second half when he was sent through on goal, but failed to beat the outstretched leg of Worth.
United went from back to front in the 63rd minute, with the Seasiders hitting the bar from a corner before the Blues broke away, seeing Lowes find Mason, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Brier.
Towers flew onto a through ball and rounded the Blackpool stopper only to see his shot blocked by a Blackpool defender.
The visitors took the lead in the 86th minute when Hodgson’s clearance ricocheted off Whaite into the bottom right corner.
A delightful, arrowed cross from Hayden Atkinson found its way to Mason but failed to divert the ball past Brier.
Spencer Knight made a mazy run through midfield, dancing past the United defence, but Worth was a match for the eventual shot.
Rigby’s last-minute free-kick was nodded wide as the Blues exited the FA Youth Cup.
FULL-TIME: Carlisle United 0-1 Blackpool
Teams:
Carlisle United: Worth, Atkinson, Hodgson (Wade 87), Porter, Penney, Rigby, Towers (Rafferty 73), Lowes, Lambert (Bell 66), Mason, Smith
Unused subs: Tonge, McDonough, Atherton, Hatton
Blackpool: Brier, Leliendal, Oshodi (Hunter 60), Upton, Nwankwo, Elder, Richardson, Knight, Butterworth (Wylezol 60), Mannix, Williamson (Whaite 60)
Unused subs: Crowe, Quinn, Daley, Jonas Dowling
Goals:
Carlisle United: N/A
Blackpool: (Whaite 86)
Yellow Cards:
Carlisle United: N/A
Blackpool: N/A
Red Cards:
Carlisle United: N/A
Blackpool: N/A
Attendance:
529
