United, with Richard Offiong upfront instead of Joe Anyinsah, started brightly with Offiong having a shot blocked by Sean Gregan as early as the third minute. Dobie then the recipient of a clever Offiong dummy three minutes later, one-on-one ten yards out though Dobie saw Latics stopper Dean Brill make an excellent stop low down to his right.
Impressive Oldham winger Chris Taylor put Carlisle goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley under pressure shortly afterwards but the Latics did take the lead on 13 minutes. An excellent move forward down the left involving Dean Furman, Taylor and Parker culminating in Alan Sheehan's low ball in from the flank being swept home by the boot of Abbott on the edge of the six-yard box.
Graham Kavanagh then hitting a 22-yard free-kick straight at Brill before Brill took possession of a Danny Livesey header from a Kevan Hurst corner. Neat work by Sheehan and Taylor moments later seeing Abbot go close with a hooked effort as the game began to swing end-to-end. Hurst then firing over the top for Carlisle before Brill had to make a tremendous save on the half-hour mark to stop Sheehan heading a Matty Robson cross into his own goal.
Shortly afterwards Peter Murphy's long range shot went nowhere, then in the 37th minute the visitors struck the Latics woodwork. Dobie running on to an Offiong flick 15 yards out only to see his half-volley with the outside of his right boot crash back off the middle of Brill's right-hand post. Pidgeley though before the half-time whistle having to keep Oldham at bay as he made a good save from a powerful Danny Whitaker strike, Parker then shooting wide from the resultant corner as time ran out.
The home side were quickly looking to double their lead after the break as player-coach Kavanagh's poor clearance fell to Taylor who saw his shot deflected wide of the target. David Raven then had a shot from distance for United as the visitors looked to respond but that pressure was short-lived as Oldham did make it 2-0 on 52 minutes.
The goal again coming down the Carlisle right as Joe Colbeck and Abbott both combined to set up Taylor and Sheehan once more down that flank. Sheehan's low cross in going past everyone before reaching Parker at the back-post who was able to slide the ball home from close range, that goal the signal for some of United's 791 following fans to head for the exits.
Dobie's last chance to get on the scoresheet coming after 62 minutes when he was first onto a cross into the box from Carlisle substitute Tom Taiwo, sadly for Dobie though his eight-yard volley disappeared away wide of the post. The pace of the game had dropped off now and the next real opportunity for a goal didn't come until 15 minutes from time when Taylor made a good run in from the left for the Latics before seeing Pidgeley make a quick stop low down at his near-post.
Taylor then again looking for a third goal for Oldham when he headed wide from a Sheehan corner, before Robson shot wide in the 83rd minute for Carlisle. That the last goalmouth action of note as the home side celebrated their first home win in seven months, while Greg Abbott and his visiting players received a chorus of boos from a small section of their travelling fans.