Again playing the diamond formation. with new signing Francois Zoko at the tip, the Blues had the first chance of the game when Peter Murphy cracked a 22-yard free-kick inches wide. Murphy playing alongside Graham Kavanagh in the middle of the United back four, with Matty Robson filling in as an emergency left-back.
With 19 minutes gone Kavanagh set up Ryan Bowman for a shot from the edge of the box that was taken in by the home keeper, Tony Caig then called into action for Carlisle at the other end six minutes later as he had to save a similar effort after possession had been conceded by one of United's Spanish trialists, in Chumillas Martinez Lopez.
Bowman then had a shot blocked just after the half-hour mark before a foul on him in the 34th minute saw Murphy again go close from a 22-yard set-piece as this time his effort on goal whistled inches past the opposite Middlesbrough post to leave the Dubliner with his head in his hands once more.
The Blues then taking a 1-0 lead into the break when Zoko was fouled right on the edge of the Middlesbrough box, the referee saying it was only a free-kick for United before his assistant pointed for a penalty to overrule him, Ivorian striker Zoko himself stepping up to take the spot-kick and fire it home.
A Boro midfielder then shot over the top from long range six minutes into the second half, before up at the other end four minutes later Bowman laid the ball off to Robson for a cross-shot wide of the far-post from 18 yards out. Zoko then looking to win a second penalty in the game after 58 minutes when he looked to be pulled down in the home box, only for the referee to this time wave play on.
Bang on the hour-mark and Blues boss for the day Graham Kavanagh made a double change in personnel as Andy Cook and trialist David Hutton replaced Jason Price and Ryan Bowman respectively. Cook quickly into action sixty seconds later with a ten yard looping header from a Jose Maria Cases cross that was caught under his crossbar by the Middlesbrough goalkeeper.
After 63 minutes a cross-shot from the home side flashed inches wide of Caig's far-post before they made two substitutions themselves during the break in play. Cook then looking to add to his late equaliser at Falkirk last night when he shot powerfully over the top from the left-angle of the Teesiders penalty area eight minutes later.
Up at the other end though Tony Kane was forced to make an excellent clearance off the line on a 'Boro shot to preserve United's narrow lead with 77 minutes on the clock, as Carlisle then changed goalkeepers two minutes later with Mark Gillespie coming on in place of Tony Caig. Gillespie first watching the home right-back shoot over the Blues crossbar from distance on 81 minutes, before he did have to save an on-target effort from similar range three minutes later.
First-year YTS midfielder Josh Todd then made his first outing at this kind of level when he came on for Martinez Lopez in the 86th minute, with Middlesbrough's last chance to find a late leveller coming sixty seconds later with a ten-yard header that went wide of the target. United, after two games in two days away from Cumbria, now back at home on Sunday for their final pre-season game, against Hibs in a 2pm kick-off.
United line-up :
Tony Caig (Mark Gillespie 79), Tony Kane, Matty Robson, Graham Kavanagh, Peter Murphy, Kevan Hurst, Jose Maria Cases, Francois Zoko, Chumillas Martinez Lopez (Josh Todd 86), Jason Price (Andy Cook 60), Ryan Bowman (David Hutton 60).
Unused substitutes :
Ben McKenna and Steven Swinglehurst.
Pre-Season Results 2010-11 : Click here