Gary Dicker having the first-half chance in the match for the visitors on six minutes when he fired wide of the United goal from a partly cleared free-kick. The Blues then coming back three minutes later as James Berrett, on the back of an advantage play on for a foul on Craig Curran, hammered a shot inches wide of the Brighton woodwork. Ankergren then holding onto a long range drive from Lubomir Michalik shortly afterwards.
In the 13th minute the home side nearly went ahead in unusual circumstances when Tommy Elphick almost diverted Francois Zoko's cross into his own net, with Ankergren forced into making a good save with his legs. The Brighton stopper then made his double block from Taiwo and Curran before he was once more in the action after 15 minutes when he made a tidy save from debutant Oliver Norwood's low drive.
Midway through the half and Elliott Bennett sliced a 25-yarder well wide for the Seagulls before it was Carlisle attacking again in the 27th minute. Gary Madine though stretching to meet a Frank Simek cross and so his header only proved to be an easy catch for Ankergren. Simek then going down just inside the Brighton box under an Elphick challenge on 36 minutes, referee Jock Waugh booking the United right-back for diving though, much to the chagrin of the home supporters.
Norwood then fired miles over with a very ambitious long-range effort five minutes before the break, before three minutes later up at the other end Simek blocked a Kazenga LuaLua 20-yard shot away from danger. The final action of the half coming in injury time as Michalik's free-kick from distance pinged through off the Brighton defensive wall on its way safely into the arms of Ankergren.
After the interval the game got a little bit more bitty with the Seagulls getting on top later on in the match as they started to get their passing game going. Both sides in the opening 15 minutes of the second-half doing nothing more than huffing and puffing as crosses were cleared at either end and final passes just fell a foot the wrong way or were easily dealt with by two defences in form.
Radostin Kishishev then tried to side-foot a shot in from outside the Carlisle penalty area on the hour-mark after good set-up play by Matt Sparrow before the Seagulls made a double substitution moments later. The change in Brighton personnel making a big difference in the game as they began to boss the possession to a large degree with one of the replacements, in Argentinian Cristian Baz, impressing on the right wing.
After 69 minutes Zoko picked up a booking for hoofing the ball away into the distance after United had conceded a free-kick, with former Carlisle striker Glenn Murray then wasting a good opportunity for the visitors shortly afterwards. Murray, put through by Adam El-Abd, only able to pull a shot well wide from the edge of the box. The pacey Baz then going very close as he cut in from the right before lashing a shot across goal and inches past Adam Collin's right-hand post.
Into the last ten minutes and Marcos Painter put hearts in Carlisle mouths with Collin scrambling backwards, United though saved by the 35-yard shot dipping just over on its way onto the roof of the net. Brighton then missing a great chance to nick a late winner as the clock ticked into injury time, substitute Ashley Barnes though only able to head a well placed Baz corner straight into the arms of a grateful Collin.
The home side however having the last opportunity to break the deadlock four minutes into added time when Norwood's long diagonal ball found Ben Marshall stealing in at the back-post, the United replacement having his close range volley, which looked to be going narrowly wide, saved by the legs of Ankergren. The final whistle coming moments later on a result that was a fair one for both teams and one that keeps both in the promotion race at this early stage of the season.