Both sides made changes to their starting line-ups but in Carlisle's case it was more through injuries than any tactical need. The Blues should have gone 1-0 up in the first minute though when Leeds-loanee Mike Grella's shot was parried out by Rob Elliot straight in front of goal, Craig Curran though somehow firing over the top from ten yards out after taking a quick controlling touch.
With five minutes gone Anyinsah then had a long range shot for Charlton blocked by the legs of Adam Collin, Benson then firing wide for the visitors from outside the United box. After 17 minutes Francois Zoko headed wide from a Frank Simek cross for the Blues before shortly afterwards Grella sliced a shot off target after a James Berrett corner had been deflected out to him.
That coming just moments after Carlisle's injury crisis deepened when James Chester limped off to be replaced by Tony Kane, both Chester and Zoko getting bad knocks early on, with the Ivorian lasting the longest on the park before Ben Marshall came on in his place on the half hour mark. With those problems in play for United, Charlton took the lead after 23 minutes when Jackson slotted home at the back-post from Scott Wagstaff's low right-wing cross.
The busy Anyinsah then had a shot deflected away from the danger area three minutes later before up at the other end in the 29th minute Curran sent a flicked header straight into the arms of Elliott from a Simek cross in. Matt Fry then cracked a shot about 20 yards over the top for the Addicks before for the Cumbrians Grella turned well on a Curran lay-off only to see his 20-yard drive flash inches wide of the target.
Just as Carlisle looked to be getting something going though Charlton made it 2-0 on 38 minutes and it was that man Anyinsah getting his name on the scoresheet. Wagstaff, after Kane had blocked his initial cross, smacking a low ball into the near-post area which was cleverly flicked by the inside of Anyinsah's boot across the body of Collin and into the far corner of the United net.
Only two minutes after the break and the game looked all over when the Addicks made it 3-0, Benson latching onto Christian's Dailly long ball up to shoot powerfully beyond the reach of Collin in the Carlisle goal. It could have been 4-0 just moments later as well but Anyinsah was penalised for a foul on the Cumbrians goalkeeper when Collin punched the ball into his own net from a Jackson corner.
Marshall, who had a good match when he came on, was left disappointed with his own efforts in the 55th minute when he turned and fired over the top from a Grella knock down on a Simek cross. The Blues then having a goal disallowed shortly afterwards when Elliott made an outstanding one-handed save low down on Gary Madine's header, with Marshall then knocking home the rebound only to be flagged offside.
Carlisle did get a goal back on 58 minutes however when Simek's cross in from the right was headed down by Madine to the back-post where Grella was lurking to slide the ball into the Charlton net. The comeback then really on only two minutes later with Madine involved again as he hooked a loose ball back into the Addicks box for an unmarked Curran to head down and in from four yards out.
The game then descended into a midfield battle for a short while before Grella hit a shot on the turn wide from a Simek cross in after 74 minutes. Madine then heading wide from a Berrett ball in before with 77 minutes on the clock the Carlisle comeback was complete. Tom Taiwo's cross from the right taking a big deflection on its way to looping over Elliot and hitting the inside of the far-post, Madine then just able to stab the ball an inch over the line with Elliot also diving in for possession.
United were now scenting a winner as they bombarded the edge of the Addicks box with the wind at their backs, Curran in the 85th minutes stretching to fire a shot wide from another Simek cross in. Benson then sending a header straight into the arms of Collin only sixty seconds later as he did well to get on the end of a cross in from visitors right-back Simon Francis.
Sadly for Carlisle Benson did hit the back of the Cumbrians net two minutes into injury time though shortly after Curran had spun and shot well over the top for the Blues. Francis the man with the delivery on the corner from which Benson was left badly unmarked ten yards out to send a firm header home past an out of position Collin. That Benson intervention certainly taking some pressure off under-fire Charlton boss Phil Parkinson, while United are left to rue a hefty injury list.