Carlisle United lost 1-0 at Accrington Stanley in the first of their EFL Trophy group fixtures last night.
There were wholesale changes by Paul Simpson – as expected – with just Fin Back and Jon Mellish playing from the side that started against Shrewsbury on Saturday.
Terry Ablade, Jayden Harris, Corey Whelan, Jack Robinson and Josh Kayode were given their first starts.
Ablade is regarded as a flying machine out wide and he was involved early with a dash and fine cross but Alfie McCalmont was just seconds away.
Stanley, who exchanged Leagues with United last season, went close from a well-worked corner routine but Seb Quirk’s shot was inches past Tomas Holy’s post.
A good move involving Ablade and McCalmont almost produced a goal for United but Kayode’s effort was well saved by Jack McIntyre.
It was end-to-end and Korede Adedoyin was unlucky to see a snap shot drift just wide after creating the opportunity himself.
to exploit. He carried it across the face of the area and was disappointed to see his low drive creep just wide.
Robinson hit a scorcher which needed a flying finger-tip save from McIntyre while from the resultant corner Mellish seemed to lose his bearings and his header was cleared.
McIntyre kept his side in it with three top class saves from short range in quick succession to deny Ablade, Harris and McCalmont.
The second-half opened with a fierce free-kick from Jack Nolan testing Holy but the big keeper got across well to make the save,’
Nolan was an elusive, dangerous performer for the Reds and he rattled the foot of the post with a fierce low strike midway through the half.
Stanley were enjoying their best spell but when Nolan was put through one-on-one he shot straight at Holy.
But the game was decided in the 87th minute. Nolan got forward on the left and his cross came off Corey Whelan to deflected in off the bar.
Ryan Edmondson had a chance after getting in on goal but McvIntyre made another important stop with his feet.
Stanley edged it but it was a game that could have gone either way.
Carlisle United – Holy, Back (Butterworth 46), Ellis, Whelan, Mellish, Robinson, McCalmont, McGeouch (Charters 62), Harris (Edmondson 84), Ablade (Gibson 72), Kayode (Garner 63). Subs – Breeze, Lavelle.
