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With Chris McDougall and James Wood still sidelined through injury United had just four substitutes on the bench, but they were able to field a full strength eleven. The Blues youngsters taking to a soft and heavy pitch, that inevitably cut up as the game progressed, wiping the sleep from their eyes after an early start from Carlisle.
The game took a little while to wake up too as Tranmere, playing with the wind in the opening period, got the first shot in of this League Cup area quarter-final tie after seven minutes, a 22-yard left-footer going wide of Alex Mitchell's near-post. Mitchell then able to easily catch a looping Rovers header from ten yards out two minutes later.
A good start for the home side and a sleepy one from the away side cost the young Blues the only goal of the game with 16 minutes gone. Carlisle originally having had two corners, the Tranmere goalkeeper fumbling out the first one and then catching the second one. Play though going quickly up the other end as a cross in from the right saw one of the Tranmere strikers flick an eight-yard header beyond Mitchell and into the far corner of the United net.
United's first chance came in the 22nd minute when Mitchell's goal-kick was flicked on by Andy Cook to Conor Tinnion, who then fed possession into the feet of Jonny Blake just inside the Rovers box. Blake from there setting the ball off for Cook to smack a 15-yard left-footer that went flying away wide off the outside of the Rovers near-post.
Two minutes later and Blake's right-footed half-volley from the Tranmere 'D' was deflected out for a Tinnion corner which came to nothing. Rovers then having the next pots on goal after 25 and 36 minutes respectively. First a 22-yard left-footed shot wide then a cross in from the right being headed wide of Mitchell's near-post from the penalty spot area by their giant number six.
Playing on a sticky pitch on a cold and windy day wasn't producing the best of games to be honest, especially in this period, with the tie disappearing into a midfield battle as both sides struggled to retain possession and get any passing game going. Even the uncatchable black rabbit on the sidelines which had escaped from someone's back garden wasn't interested as it munched away in the long grass while evading many supporters attempts at capture.
The last chance of the first-half coming the way of Carlisle three minutes before the interval when Blake and Ryan Bowman combined nicely on the edge of the Tranmere box, Bowman eventually hitting a right-footed shot from 15 yards out wide of the far-post. The break in play being the signal for the referee to give the Rovers number six a talking to after a foul on Blake in the build-up.
Straight from the second-half kick-off Cook hit a right-footed shot on goal which was caught by the Tranmere keeper. Then moments later their right-back was booked for a foul on Cook over on the left wing, Blake's ball in from the 30-yard set-piece being cleared away by one of many six-foot plus Rovers players.
One of the best chances for Carlisle to grab an equaliser came after 49 minutes when Liam Davison flicked on a Matt Duffy throw-in only for Cook to be left disappointed as he half-volleyed it over the top with his right boot from eight yards out. Three minutes later and Tinnion made a barnstorming run forward from his own half which resulted in his left-footed 22-yarder being well tipped over by the Rovers number one.
Blake's corner in being part-cleared out to Simon Lakeland who was then almost snapped in half by a dreadful scything challenge from that number six again. That only resulting in a yellow card when he could easily have seen red. Cook hammered the 22-yard set-piece in on goal right-footed but the Tranmere keeper again made an excellent save as he dived low and late to push the ball out for a Blake corner which came to nothing.
With 56 minutes on the clock Tinnion cut in from the right only to see his left-footer from 18 yards out blocked. The ball then dropping to Blake who, from just outside the Rovers 'D', hit a left-footed drive wide of the far-post. Tranmere then moments later heading a good eight-yard chance over the top of Mitchell's goal after a cross in from the left.
United almost got themselves on the scoresheet just before the hour-mark when Blake fed in Davison for a right-footed 18-yarder that the keeper could only palm up in the air before turning around and catching it almost on his own goal-line. Davison then, on 61 minutes, after a Rovers striker had been booked for delaying a Lakeland free-kick up, striking a disappointing right-footed half-volley from 18 yards out wide of the Tranmere back-stick.
In a busier spell in the game Cook made a great run forward sixty seconds later as he beat three defenders before playing a one-two with Bowman, Cook though smacking a right-footed drive from the edge of the Rovers box inches over the top. That period with more action was soon followed by a period of much less action, the only thing to note until 15 minutes before the end being a home substitution upfront just after the midway point in the half.
That next opportunity in the 75th minute being fashioned by Carlisle as Cook played in Tinnion for a 15-yarder on his weaker right foot that yet again was palmed behind by the Tranmere keeper. Blake's first corner in being cleared before the second one was well taken by a Rovers glovesman who was easily the man of the match.
His best save coming after 79 minutes when Blake and Tinnion set Cook up for a 15-yard right-footed shot on the turn which he made a brilliant one-handed stop low down on at his right-hand post, the ball then being hacked away for a United throw-in by a Rovers defender. The break in play seeing Tranmere make a change at right-back while Carlisle went 4-3-3 in their quest for a late leveller as striker Mark Sloan came on for holding midfielder Sean Law.
That change in United personnel allowing the home side to find a little bit more room on the break. On 81 minutes a 15-yard left-footer slicing wide of Mitchell's near-post, then sixty seconds later a similar shot going inches past the Carlisle back-stick, and then after 83 minutes Tranmere went even closer as a right-footed drive from 18 yards out pinged away off the outside of Mitchell's right-hand upright.
United were soon back at it though and just moments later Tinnion played in Cook who then set the ball up for Blake 20 yards out, Blake's right-footed shot though sliding away agonisingly just wide of the Tranmere goal. The 86th minute saw yet another good save from the Rovers keeper as, following build-up play from Sloan and Tinnion, Cook saw his left-footed 12-yarder well stopped low down at the near-post.
As the clock hit the final minute a home midfielder hit a shot from distance over the Carlisle goal. Then deep into stoppage time came the story of the day for United as the ball just wouldn't go in the net. Cook, from a Blake pass, seeing his 18-yard right-footed effort deflected out for a corner. Tinnion then putting that flag-kick in which Duffy got to before the keeper only for his header from eight yards out to dribble away inches wide of an unguarded goal at the far-post.
Just one of those days for the young Blues then as, despite having by far the bulk of possession in the tie, they just couldn't get the ball past an inspired Tranmere goalkeeper. The defeat meaning there is just the Cumberland Cup, for some of the older lads, and the league left to play in now.
Next week being their game of the season so far as they visit an, unbeaten in the league, Burnley side who, after winning 3-2 at Rochdale in the league yesterday, are just one point behind Carlisle with two games in hand now. So avoiding defeat seems like a must for United if they are to have any chance of winning the league this season.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell, Simon Lakeland, Matt Duffy, Tom Aldred (c), Jamie Cleary, Jonny Blake, Sean Law (Mark Sloan 79), Liam Davison, Andy Cook, Ryan Bowman, Conor Tinnion.
Unused substitutes :
Mark Gillespie (GK), John Seaton and Steven Swinglehurst.
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