However, Stockport went in front on seven minutes. Carl Baker pounced on a loose ball before firing home low past Ben Alnwick via a slight deflection off Carlisle skipper Danny Livesey. Stockport old boy Evan Horwood fired a shot over for the Cumbrians, but the hosts were only just denied a superbly-worked goal on 24 minutes.
Tommy Rowe played an inch-perfect one-two with Stephen Gleeson, only for his low drive to be excellently saved by Alnwick. Danny Graham missed a decent chance on 33 minutes for the visitors. He latched onto a weak back header by Johnny Mullins, but could only lash over from 12 yards. Baker fired straight at Alnwick a minute before the interval as County threatened to add to their lead.
Stockport opened the second period well, with Paul Turnbull seeing a header saved and Baker curling a shot just past the far post. The hosts doubled their lead with a cracking goal on 63 minutes. Turnbull teed up Gleeson, and he crashed home a shot into the top corner from just outside the Carlisle box.
Baker then doubled his tally on 70 minutes when he stabbed home a shot after Carlisle could not clear a long throw-in from James Tunnicliffe. Graham missed Carlisle's best chance of a late consolation as John Ward's men slumped to yet another defeat to heap yet more pressure on Ward himself.