A scruffy 42nd minute goal from Wes Hoolahan was enough to guide Norwich to victory in which the home side huffed and puffed but created little in clear-cut chances in the face of some good counter-attacking football from the visitors. After a quiet opening the first real moment in the goalmouth came on seven minutes when a cross in from City pantomime villain Grant Holt, playing against his hometown club, found Ian Harte having to see it out behind after Lenny Pidgeley had failed with an attempted catch.
Chris Martin then firing a shot from range over the top of Pidgeley's crossbar five minutes later before shortly afterwards Harte went close for Carlisle. The left-back, playing on the right in the absence of David Raven, getting on the end of a Matty Robson corner only to scuff his shot straight at Fraser Forster, Harte then unable to bundle home the rebound. Joe Anyinsah then shooting straight at Forster before Holt was denied at the other end by a fantastic last-ditch tackle from clear man-of-the-match Tom Taiwo.
After 23 minutes Anyinsah was in the action once more as he shot over the angle of post and bar from 15 yards out, Forster was forced into a save two minutes later though when he blocked Robson's powerful shot from a Scott Dobie back-heel. As Carlisle pressed Gary Doherty fouled Dobie bang on the edge of the box to the left of the 'D', it was a little bit too close for Harte to get the free-kick up and down though and his left-footed curler skimmed off the crossbar as it flew over the top.
Kevan Hurst, in a rare moment of effort from himself, then fired wide for United only for Norwich to almost take the lead when from a Doherty ball up Harte only succeeded in leaving Pidgeley short with an attempted chest back. Left-back Adam Drury managing to get to the ball first only to then scoop a shot into the side-netting from a tight angle at the near-post in a bundle of bodies.
City did take the lead after 42 minutes though when Chris Martin's cross in from the left went behind Danny Livesey. Graham Kavanagh then missing his kick as he attempted to clear with the ball going straight to Hoolahan who was left with the easy task of lifting the ball over Pidgeley and into the net from eight yards out. Anyinsah then shooting wide and Hoolahan hitting one straight at Pidgeley as the sides exchanged efforts before the half-time whistle.
Straight after the break and Martin set Korey Smith up for a powerful shot over the top, then after a hold up for an injury to the irrepressible Taiwo, Holt sent a header straight into the arms of Pidgeley following a cross in from debutant right-back George Francomb. Livesey moments later doing well to make a block on a Martin drive before it was Taiwo once more doing all the graft, despite almost playing on one leg, when he made another excellent last-ditch tackle, this time on busy playmaker Hoolahan.
Norwich were starting to play well now as they passed the ball around on the floor, Martin however wasting a good move when he fired high and wide from a Hoolahan pass. Taiwo yet again then making a block on a Smith shot before Pidgeley was forced into action on 62 minutes when he pushed behind a Hoolahan effort. The resultant corner seeing Pidgeley block out Holt's header and Smith lash the rebound wastefully wide.
Midway through the half and Hurst shot into the City side-netting as the home side continued to look for an equaliser. Anyinsah then having an effort blocked by the legs of Forster and Dobie shooting into the side-netting as Carlisle had a strong spell in the match as the Canaries began to sit back on their lead and invite pressure. Norwich came back though and on 70 minutes Martin had a curler deflected inches wide, Holt then volleying well over the top from the corner.
Five minutes later and City broke well from a Carlisle flag-kick, Holt eventually setting Smith up for a clear drive on goal which was smartly saved by an alert Pidgeley at his near-post. Moments on and Dobie headed a Marc Bridge-Wilkinson cross straight at Forster and then was left disappointed as there was no-one there to get on the end of his cut-back into the box. Canaries substitute Cody McDonald then being booked for a foul on Anyinsah as Harte's free-kick into the box was headed away by Holt.
Harte then showing some poor discipline in the final minute as he overhit a free-kick behind and then gestured towards the Paddock after they had jeered him for it. The last chance for the Blues to find an equaliser coming two minutes into injury time when a loose ball dropped to Bridge-Wilkinson 25 yards out, the United midfielder forcing an excellent full-length save out of Forster, with Dobie chasing the rebound flagged offside. The last action though showed the frustration of the Carlisle players when the otherwise faultless Richard Keogh was booked for a bad studs-up challenge on Hoolahan moments before the final whistle.