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United started brightly and could have taken the lead as early as the second minute when Ben McKenna swung a free-kick in from the left wing and Steven Swinglehurst headed powerfully in past City goalkeeper David Parton from close range. The linesman on the CBS Stand side wasn't happy though as his flag went up for either offside or a shirt pull as the goal was chalked off.
Two minutes later and Stoke replied as Danny Stockhall cut in from the left only to slice a right-footed 20-yarder across goal and well wide. City skipper Ryan Connor then feeding a pass in for Moult on 11 minutes to move on into the Carlisle box before the Stoke striker cracked in a fierce drive from 15 yards out which pinged away off the underside of the United crossbar, perhaps following a touch from the gloves of Mark Gillespie.
For the Blues Ryan Bowman made his way in from the left four minutes later only to hit a left-footed shot from the edge of the box straight at Parton. Sean Law then putting a cross in from the right on 18 minutes which Parton fumbled as he looked to catch, Matt Osmond got his feet in a muddle 12 yards out for Carlisle though and he only ended up pushing an effort on his weaker right foot wide of the far-post.
Law then taking matters into his own hands sixty seconds later with a right-footed shot from 22 yards out which was deflected away from goal. Stoke though missed a good chance to take the lead in the 23rd minute when a deep cross in from the right by Alex Hedley was headed narrowly wide by Stockhall from close range at the back-stick. Stockhall, with his right foot, then shooting into the United side-netting from the left-angle of the penalty area shortly afterwards.
Carlisle then went close in the 32nd minute when McKenna and Manny Richardson worked a short corner together, McKenna whipping in a right-footed cross-shot which caught Parton off guard as he had to backpedal quickly to tip the ball over the top. The resultant McKenna corner in then seeing possession drop to Law 20 yards out, Law though hitting his half-volley from there too high and into an empty Waterworks End.
Two minutes later and Richardson, 12 yards out, backflicked a header into the hands of Parton following a Bowman touch on, then in a busy spell in the game Stockhall went up the other end and cracked a left-footed 20-yarder over Gillespie's crossbar. A busy Stockhall then sending a cross in from the right on 36 minutes which Adam Vickers headed wide of the far-post from ten yards out.
A foul on Richardson sixty seconds later brought a McKenna free-kick into the City box which was only part cleared straight to Ben Richards-Everton. The off balance United centre-half only able though to hook a 15-yard left-footed half-volley back across goal and wide of the target. City responding in the 38th minute as Tom Urwin put a ball in from the right which Moult took down on his chest in the middle of the box, the Stoke striker denied though by an excellent covering James Wood tackle.
Two minutes before the break and Stockhall cut in from the left again but once more his effort on goal was sliced well wide of the far-post. The last chance of the half also coming the way of the visitors when a lovely passing move forward eventually saw the ball land at the right boot of Matthew Cohen ten yards out, the attacking centre-half though stabbing a right-footed shot inches wide of the target.
Vickers had taken a knock very late in the opening period and he didn't reappear after the interval, with Jack Harrison coming on in his place. In the 48th minute Urwin then putting a cross in from the right which Jamie Cleary knocked out straight out to Connor, the City midfielder though having his right-footed 20-yarder well held by Gillespie.
Carlisle's best chance to score came and went two minutes later when a lovely pass from captain Liam Davison down the left-hand channel found Bowman one-on-one with Parton 12 yards out, United's top scorer fluffed his lines though and Parton was able to easily block his weak right-footed shot. Rodney McDonald then hammering a 20-yarder wide for City sixty seconds on.
With 54 minutes gone Osmond stuck a cross in from the left which McKenna raced in on at pace, the Blues right-winger unlucky to see his right-footed volley fly straight at Parton from eight yards out, Zack Foster then able to clear the danger for Stoke. United couldn't have gone closer again shortly afterwards when Bowman, following a Moult foul on Wood 30 yards out, hit the free-kick right-footed goalwards, it looked in all the way but somehow went inches wide with Parton rooted to the spot.
Moult then produced a neat turn on the edge of the Carlisle box on 58 minutes, his right-footed shot from there though being well parried away by Gillespie. Moult then trying his luck again sixty seconds later but his long-range effort went miles over the top. Cohen then almost produced an own goal straight up the other end when he deflected a Wood cross, fortunately for City, straight into the arms of Parton at his near-post.
There was then a bout of action in the United box on 61 minutes following a Richards-Everton foul on Moult over in the CBS/Waterworks corner, Wood and and Davison both making good clearances as the free-kick and then resultant corner came in. Carlisle were still pressing though and three minutes later some trickery from Richardson in the 'D' saw the ball drop to Law, the United midfielder's left-footed shot from there though sadly going straight down the throat of Parton.
After 71 minutes Urwin and Moult played a nice one-two in from the left, Moult though, just ten yards out, seeing his right-footed shot well saved by Gillespie who had spread himself well as he raced off his line. Two minutes later and Connor stuck in a corner in which Gillespie punched straight up in the air, Foster then heading the loose ball over the top from ten yards out.
Gillespie was able to make a catch on 77 minutes though when a 15-yard shot from Moult flew up into the air off the head of Richards-Everton. Five minutes later and Carlisle were forced to make a change at right-back as Blues man of the match Wood was replaced by James Bonner, Wood injured a few moments earlier in a foul by Connor - that one of at least two cynical ones by the Stoke captain who somehow escaped a booking from soft referee Seb Stockbridge.
The visitors were pushing on in the closing stages and Urwin put a cross in from the right on 85 minutes which Andrew Nicholls took down on his chest in the middle of the box, his right-footed shot from there then surprising everyone as it flashed somehow wide of the target. Two minutes later and Moult thumped a 25-yard free-kick into the United wall, following a Cleary foul on him, Nicholls then slicing the rebound horribly wide with his right boot from the edge of the box.
It always looked a game where one goal was going to win it and sadly that was the case as we ticked into the last minute, Cohen thumping an eight-yard header from a Connor corner past Gillespie and into an unguarded near-post area of the Carlisle net. City then running down the clock during the five minutes of injury time played as Laton Wint replaced Foster and Warwick Alexander came on for Urwin.
So a disappointing few days for the young Blues as they have been knocked out of the Cumberland Cup and then the FA Youth Cup in consecutive games. The Youth Alliance League Cup also bit the dust earlier in the season but there is still a top three finish to play for the lads in the league, Carlisle currently in fifth with a game or two in hand on a couple of teams above them.
United line-up :
Mark Gillespie, James Wood (James Bonner 82), Steven Swinglehurst, Sean Law, Ben Richards-Everton, Jamie Cleary, Ben McKenna, Liam Davison (c), Ryan Bowman, Manny Richardson, Matt Osmond.
Unused substitutes :
Jon Ball (GK), Phil Towler, Mark Sloan and Kieran Cahill.
Stoke City line-up :
David Parton, Alex Hedley, Zack Foster (Laton Wint 90), Ryan Connor (c), Matthew Cohen, Rodney McDonald, Tom Urwin (Warwick Alexander 90), Andrew Nicholls, Adam Vickers (Jack Harrison 46), Louis Moult, Danny Stockhall.
Unused substitutes :
Nicky Jackson and Craig Sinclair.
Referee - Seb Stockbridge (Dunston, Tyne and Wear).
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