It was a particularly young United side that took to the field too with Jamie Cleary (knee) still sidelined, that meaning there was again a place in the middle of the Carlisle back four for Ben Richards-Everton, 17, the Brummie having already featured twice recently as a trialist for the Cumbrians. His inclusion meaning that the United starting eleven consisted of seven 16-year olds and just four 17-year olds.
With plenty of first-year YTS players in the side it took the Blues a little while to get settled against stronger, older opposition, City having a lot of the ball in the early stages without testing Carlisle goalkeeper Jon Ball. The opening ten minutes for the visitors seeing a six-yard header from a corner go wide, a bicycle kick from the penalty spot, again from a corner, go over the top and then a wild long-distance shot from over on the right disappear well wide of the target.
Ball did have to make a save in the 18th minute though when he was able to easily field a weak 15-yard right-footed shot that went straight at him. United having their first chance in the game two minutes later when Paddy O'Brien's left-footed corner in found the head of 6'4 trialist Richards-Everton six yards out at the back-post, the big centre-half though seeing his effort on goal hacked away from danger by City.
United defend a corner, (l-r), Kieran Cahill, Jon Ball, Paddy O'Brien, Ben Richards-Everton
An inexperienced Carlisle back line was caught out of position in the 25th minute though when O'Brien lost possession and a City striker got on the end of a pass down the right-hand channel, his first touch wasn't the best however and he then had to stretch to toe-poke a 15-yarder into Ball's side-netting. Ball then the recipient of a soft free-kick moments later from a pretty fussy referee as he looked to claim the ball after spilling an initial cross in.
It was the Blues though who scored the opening goal of the game bang on the hour-mark. The City defence getting in a muddle as they looked to clear their lines with Sloan snapping at their ankles, that allowing Ryan Bowman to race through onto the loose ball, skip around the advancing goalkeeper and then calmly (well it should have been) lift the ball right-footed about one inch under the crossbar and into an empty net from 25 yards out.
Carlisle then going 2-0 up just two minutes later when Bowman capitalised on another defensive error as he ended up one-on-one with the visitors stopper 15 yards out in the right-hand channel. The Carlisle-born striker from there netting his 13th goal of pre-season with a well taken right-footed strike across goal and into the far corner of the net.
In the 37th minute the visitors broke away down the left-hand channel on the back of a long pass up, Ball eventually being forced into an excellent save with his feet at his near-post from a 15-yard left-footed shot. The last action of the half though being an easy save this time in the 42nd minute as he dropped on an effort from a similar area of the pitch.
Blues boss Eric Kinder made his first substitution of the match at half-time when Sloan was replaced by James Reid in a straight swap upfront. Reid getting himself on the scoresheet too after only three minutes when Phil Towler's good cross in from the right ended up at the feet of O'Brien over on the left. O'Brien then knocking the ball back in for Reid to glance an eight-yard header back across goal and high into the far corner.
On 53 minutes City made the first of many substitutions in the second-half, one of their later ones being that of their stocky left-winger who perhaps made a few racey challenges in the early stages before calming down a little. The visitors never really making the most of their physical and age advantage as Carlisle's full-time fitness also sometimes told during the game.
Bowman really should have claimed a hat-trick with 54 minutes gone when from a massive throw-in by 16-year old right-back James Bonner he found himself completely unmarked in the middle of the City penalty area. Bowman though choosing a difficult first-time volley that went straight into the gloves of the keeper instead of taking the ball down and picking his spot, although a shout of "time" from one of his team-mates would certainly have helped too.
Sloan came back onto the pitch for the Cumbrians on the hour-mark for O'Brien after O'Brien had taken a big whack to the face when he ran straight into the body of a visiting midfielder as they both chased down a loose ball. Sloan a versatile player who has played in numerous positions across the park for United before.
Carlisle midfielder Sean Law then going very close to getting a rare goal sixty seconds later when, from a Towler lay-off, his expertly hit 25-yard shot with the outside of his right boot looked to be in the top corner all the way only for the City keeper to make an excellent one-handed save as he clawed the ball away.
Charge of the Light Brigade, (Carlisle l-r), Kieran Cahill, Liam Davison, Paddy O'Brien, Ryan Bowman
Midway through the second half and as the game started to open up a visiting player wasted a good cross as he could only head over the top from 12 yards out. One of their strikers then in the 73rd minute looping a 15-yard header up into the air for Ball to catch, the cross in having been just a little bit behind the run of the City man.
Three minutes later United skipper Liam Davison, still coming back to full fitness after his ankle injury at Workington in early July, was replaced by fellow second-year James Wood, that seeing the captain's armband given to Law. The visitors then missing another good chance to register a goal shortly afterwards when, after a ball in from the left, one of their players could only slice a right-footed shot wildly over the top from ten yards out.
With ten minutes to go Carlisle were denied probably the most blatant penalty you will see when City got themselves into a muddle again on the back of some harrying from Reid. Bowman then lifting a loose ball over the head of a defender 15 yards out before the visitor pretty much rugby tackled him to the ground.
Play though, with the referee probably having a bad view straight behind it, amazingly going straight on despite the linesman looking right across the line of the incident. That amazement of the non-award then seeing even more heads shaken when the linesman said when prompted that : "I would have given it if you had asked for it" - not really something that is in the rulebook I don't think.
And that was about it for the real action as the game drew to a close at a slower pace late on, City only having two shots over the top on 81 and 88 minutes being the only things to note. United's last pre-season friendly now coming at Barnsley on Tuesday before their league campaign proper starts at Rochdale next weekend.
United line-up :
Jon Ball, James Bonner, Kieran Cahill, Steven Swinglehurst, Ben Richards-Everton, Sean Law, Liam Davison (James Wood 76), Ryan Bowman, Mark Sloan (James Reid 46), Paddy O'Brien (Mark Sloan 60).
Unused substitutes :
Mark Gillespie (GK), Ben McKenna and Matt Osmond.
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