Rochdale started the game well and almost earned an even earlier spot-kick after five minutes when Michalik just avoided bringing down Chris O'Grady. The 'Dale striker then going very close to opening the scoring eight minutes later when he saw his point blank header from an Adams cross well saved by Adam Collin. Francois Zoko then heading a James Berrett corner over the top for Carlisle shortly afterwards.
Adams then almost turned villain when his poor back pass allowed Madine to get a shot in on goal, United's top scorer though firing inches wide of the target. Madine did make it 12 goals for the season on 20 minutes however when Chester's header from six yards out was pushed onto the bar by Lillis, Madine then in the right place at the right time to nod home the rebound from almost on the Rochdale goal-line.
Zoko and Adams then swapped shots from outside the box over the top before Carlisle had to make a change at left-back when Tom Cruise limped from the field with shin splints. Zoko then had a penalty shout turned down before Adams had a scissor kick blocked by Michalik, while back up the other end Chester headed over the top from another Berrett corner and Matty Robson shot way off target from distance.
Chester and Zoko then had shots charged down from another set-piece as Carlisle ended the half on top, with Ben Marshall then scuffing a close range effort wide that he should have done better with. 'Dale coming back into it a little though with the last two chances of the half as firstly O'Grady wastefully headed over a Brian Barry-Murphy corner then Tom Kennedy struck a 30-yard free-kick straight into the Blues defensive wall.
Michalik then found his way into referee Neil Swarbrick's notebook for the first time in the evening before a spell of Rochdale pressure ended in O'Grady wasting another good opportunity as he skied a shot over the top following good approach play by Joe Thompson. United then having to defend stoutly against a couple of 'Dale corners as the visitors really started to get on top in the match.
Craig Dawson then headed wide from a Kennedy corner before from Berrett's flag-kick at the other end Zoko sent a header straight into the air for an easy Lillis catch. The visitors then made a double substitution before they found a deserved equaliser after 62 minutes when Adams was adjudged to have been brought down by Michalik in the box.
The Leeds-loanee then being sent off for his second yellow card of the night before Jones stepped up to confidently lash the penalty home into the bottom corner despite Collin diving the right way. United then brought on Kevan Hurst for Mike Grella as they had to rearrange things at the back, with skipper Frank Simek moving in one to centre-half as the Blues spent the rest of the game fielding two wingers at full-back.
Another substitution for either side then came as a booking for Hurst for a late tackle was sandwiched between the two replacements entering the fray. After Marcus Holness then went into the book for a foul on Madine, Berrett's corner in was headed narrowly wide by Chester. Madine then appearing to be brought down again only for play to go on and O'Grady miss a good chance to make it 2-1 to the visitors as he sliced a shot well wide from the edge of the box.
Matty Done was then the last booking of the night after he cynically brought down Robson in full flight over on the left flank. But, the last word of the game went to Dawson bang on the 90 minutes as he wastefully headed over the top from the middle of the box following Kennedy's corner in. Neither side then looking like grabbing an even later winner as we ticked through almost five minutes of time added on.