Carlisle United went out of the Papa John’s Trophy when they lost 1-0 at Harrogate in the round of the last 16.
The hosts scored the only goal on seven minutes to book their place in the quarter-finals.
It stemmed from a scuffed clearance from Mark Howard which rebounded nicely into the area for Luke Amstrong to lift the ball over the advancing keeper as he tried to atone for his error.
The goal had followed a high temp start by the hosts against a Carlisle side unchanged from the one which had began at Scunthorpe and Saturday and won 1-0.
Manager Keith Millen did, however, include recent signing Joel Senior on the bench and he was brought on ten minutes from time for his Carlisle debut.
After the early set-back United could have been level pretty quickly after an overlapping run and cross from Jack Armer was knocked behind for a corner with Sam Fishburn and Brennan Dickenson waiting to apply the finish.
The corner saw Carlisle go even closer as Callum Guy’s delivery saw Morgan Feeney connect with a powerful header which cannoned off the bar to safety.
It sparked a good spell for the Blues as Saturday’s match-winner Rod McDonald tested keeper Mark Oxley with a well-struck volley but he held on.
There was another close call for Harrogate when Jon Mellish pulled-back a dangerous low cross which only needed a touch for a goal but good defending by Lewis Page beat Kelvin Mellor to it.
Harrogate burst back into life after good work by Josh Falkingham and there were collective sighs of relief in United ranks when a fierce shot from Rory McArdle hit the side netting.
Just before the break Howard saved at full stretch from Brahima Diarra and at the other end Dickenson was guilty of a poor touch when Jordan Gibson sent him in on goal.
Joe Riley replaced Fishburn for the second half and United were quickly on the offensive.
Mellor’s cross ballooned off Falkingham’s outstretched foot and to safety off the top of the woodwork.
Harrogate, too, went close when Jack Muldoon’s cross was touched on by Armstrong. It appeared to be heading for the net when it struck Hall’s hand and the referee blew to end the move.
It became an end-to-end encounter with both sides going for it. Carlisle searching for the equaliser and Harrogate seeking the cushion of a second goal.
Carlisle thought they should have had a penalty when Dickinson went down in the box when Dickenson was felled and then Muldoon forced Howard into a fine diving save when he hit a fierce low drive at the bottom corner.
Oxley then saved his side twice in quick succession, turning a well struck volley from Dickenson round the post and then doing enough to block a Mellish effort with his legs after the United man had been put through.
Senior got ten minutes at the end and earned his side a corner with one pacey run forward but Harrogate got themselves to the finish line with some controlled play in the closing stages.
A total of 145 Carlisle fans had made the trip and they would have been pleased at another decent performance by their favourites, albeit a losing one.
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