The dangerous Marc Pugh had the first chance of the game for Bournemouth after five minutes but Adam Collin did well to push Pugh's cross-shot away from the top corner of the United net. Collin then having to make an even better save on 18 minutes when an expertly worked corner from Liam Feeney saw Jason Pearce dummying and Josh McQuoid smacking a drive in from 12 yards out that Collin stretched to tip over the top.
With play stagnating for large periods of the first-half, the next real chance didn't come until the 36th minute when for Carlisle, Francois Zoko struck a shot in from 22 yards out, but his effort curled away wide of the woodwork. Zoko then shortly afterwards trying a spin and drive on the turn, but from just inside the box the ball always looked to be going too high and that proved to be the case as it flew well over the top.
Two minutes before the break and the Cherries wasted a good opportunity to take a 1-0 goal lead down the tunnel. Pugh's cross into the Cumbrians box being pushed away by Collin, with McQuoid managing to get on the end of the rebound only to thump it way too high and into the temporary stand behind the goal. That being the last chance of a goal in what had been a relatively poor first-half from the point of view of both sides.
So, into the second-half and Bournemouth came racing out of the traps and took the lead three minutes in, from a corner earned on the break after a Carlisle attack had been inadvertently ended by referee Dave Phillips when a Sean McDaid pass hit him in the midriff. The resultant Cherries flag-kick though poorly defended by the Blues as Garry's unmarked ten-yard header just made it into the net via a combination of Collin and McDaid.
Anton Robinson then shot wide for the home side before Curran had a couple of efforts on goal blocked, first by Shaun Cooper and then by Garry as United looked to get back into the game. That attempt was ended on 64 minutes however when Bournemouth made it 2-0 after Adam Smith had been clearly clipped by Zoko in the box, with substitute Symes stepping up to casually send Collin the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Carlisle substitute Matty Robson, who made a slight difference to United's attacking efforts, then, along with fellow replacement Ben Marshall, had shots blocked by Pearce and the outstanding Marvin Bartley respectively. The Cherries then wasting a good chance to go further ahead when Pugh, one-on-one with Collin as he came in from the left wing, struck his effort on goal into the side-netting at the Blues near-post.
Just as we were about to tick into injury time United were perhaps a little lucky to end the game with ten men on the pitch after James Chester seemed to bring down an incandescent Symes as the two chased after a long ball through the middle. A definite mistake from referee Phillips coming deep in added time though when Marshall's shot in was clearly pushed wide by Shwan Jalal, only for a goal-kick to be awarded in the last action of the game.