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Carlton was one of four Carlisle players who played the full 90 minutes in the game, the other three being goalkeeper Chris Howarth, left-back Zigor Aranalde and centre-half Dan Kirkup. United also lined up in a surprise tactical formation, Blues boss Neil McDonald fielding a diamond formation that saw Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Simon Hackney at the front and Luke Joyce and Paul Thirlwell at the back in their seperate times on the pitch.
The formation looked far more dangerous with the pace of Hackney at the head when he replaced Bridge-Wilkinson on the hour-mark although Carlisle did score the opening goal with just 20 minutes on the clock after a neat pass from Bridge-Wilkinson found McDermott on the right edge of the box. McDermott clipping a lovely ball over the top for Graham to volley easily home at the back-post from only six yards out.
Morecambe had started the game well and Chris Howarth in the United goal needed to be on top form throughout with Luke Joyce also making an excellent goal-line clearance in the opening period. Impressive new signing Carl Baker, Wayne Curtis, Jamie Burns and Craig Stanley all going close to finding the net for the Shrimps.
Both sides hit the bar after the break, Morecambe first when Howarth tipped a Michael Twiss shot onto the woodwork, then Carlisle substitute Hackney saw his 20-yard effort crash back off the frame of the goal. The home side's trialist keeper Scott Tynan spilled the ball from a Hackney corner shortly afterwards but Kirkup could only poke wide from close range.
The Shrimps levelled matters with 78 minutes gone after United skipper Paul Thirlwell gave possession away to David McNiven, substitute McNiven having a clear run through on goal as he chipped his shot over the diving Howarth from ten yards out. Parity only lasted two minutes though as that man Carlton had the last word.
Jeff Smith and Hackney working a quickly taken short corner which saw Hackney's ball into the box met by the head of Carlton, the ex-Morecambe man's header flying low into the bottom corner of Craig Wight's net. That was that for the scoring on the night as Carlisle kept their 100% start to pre-season going with another excellent run-out against a Morecambe side who pushed them for the win all the way.
Morecambe line-up :
Scott Tynan (Craig Wight 75), Adam Yates, Danny Adams (Michael Howard 46), Dave Artell, Jim Bentley (Mauro Almeida 46), Craig Stanley (Fraser McLachlan 46), Carl Baker (Keiran Walmsley 70), Neil Sorvel (Garry Hunter 46), Wayne Curtis (David McNiven 70), Michael Twiss (Jon Newby 70), Jamie Burns.
United line-up :
Chris Howarth, Paul Arnison (David Raven 60), Zigor Aranalde, Dan Kirkup, Danny Livesey (c) (Peter Murphy 60), Luke Joyce (Paul Thirlwell (c) 60), Chris Lumsdon (Jeff Smith 60), Neale McDermott (Ged Dalton 60), Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (Simon Hackney 60), Danny Graham (Kevin Gall 60), Danny Carlton.
Unused substitute :
Adam Bradley.
Referee - Eddie Ilderton (Tyne and Wear).
Attendance - 1,469.