The Blues were at Oakwell on Tuesday night as they came up against Championship outfit Barnsley in the first round of this season's Carabao Cup competition.
Manager Steven Pressley made two changes from Saturday's starting line up with left back Jack Iredale in to replace Jon Mellish and striker Ryan Loft given the nod in place of Olufela Olomola.
Keeper Adam Collin had to take care inside the first minute when Webster came under pressure on the edge of his own box. The back pass had good weight but a firm boot was needed to hook it away.
The Tykes stayed forward and the ball eventually came to Chaplin when Woodrow poked it in his direction. He struck it first time from 20-yards but Collin was down smartly to gather it up.
United got forward from the clearance and McKirdy pulled wide on the left to give Bridge an option. The winger used pace to get into the area but his cut back was blocked and Andersen and Halme completed the clearance.
It was a fast opening pace to the encounter and a cross from Williams found Woodrow with a clean sight of the nets. His volley was parried on the dive by Collin, and he had to be up quickly to deal with a follow up from Chaplin which came low through bodies.
Still inside the opening 10 minutes and more good work from McKirdy earned the away side a corner, but a swiped clearance sent the hosts on a break. Wilks looked to make something of it but Elliott was back smartly to cover his lines.
A blocked shot from Thiam spun across the length of the 18-yard box during what was a strong period for the red shirts, and that invited Wilks to go for glory. He tried to keep his effort down but it was rising from the moment it left his boot.
Carlisle thought they'd picked the lock when Thomas strode forward to steal possession inside the Barnsley half. McKirdy pulled clear, and he had just Collins to beat, but a moment of hesitation allowed Andersen to slide in and stop the shot at source.
A flowing move from the home side saw Thiam and Chaplin exchange passes as they turned a tight situation into a rapid attack. A pull back from Thiam was left alone by Chaplin but Wilks was disappointed when he sent a weak effort from 16-yards too close to Collin.
The visitors responded with a one-touch move of their own down the left flank with McKirdy again at the heart of it. He angled his run and aimed a bullet at the bottom corner but Collins was down smartly to turn it behind.
Suddenly end-to-end and Carlisle created an excellent opening when a cute touch from McKirdy, when he had his back to goal, sent Loft one-on-one with the Barnsley stopper. He took a touch, then another, and that gave Collins the time he needed to rush out and close down the angles.
It was good pressure from United and Thomas used strength to bundle his way through when he controlled well at the back stick. He was past his man, but Collins spread himself to make a fantastic block. McKirdy was first to react to the loose pieces and Collins produced another fine fingertip save as a volley struck a thigh and threatened to loop into the net.
The good spell was finally made to tell when Barnsley got themselves in a muddle as they tried to pass the ball around in a dangerous area. A weak back pass was allowed to run free by Halme and Harry Mckirdy made it two for the season with a calm stroked finish underneath the dive of the stranded keeper.
United still had defending to do and Jones showed determination to race back to intercept a dangerous pass before Thiam could put it away. The corner was punched by Collin and he did well moments later as Chaplin struck a clean volley towards the roof of the net when he was first to the loose pieces. He saw it late but strong hands beat the ball away.
The away lead was almost doubled just past the half hour when Ryan Loft watched a dropping ball carefully as he turned to set his back to goal, having stumbled as the initial ball from Webster came in. Collins was caught completely off-guard as an acrobatic overhead kick left him as a mere spectator, and he was mightily relieved to see it graze the top of his bar and bounce away to safety.
Collin had to parry low when a drilled cross from Williams flashed his way, and it was a misplaced backpass from McKirdy which almost caused a real downfall minutes before the break. Chaplin suddenly had the goal at his mercy, but he was initially forced wide by good work from Collin. Knight-Percival then stepped in the way, and Webster was on the line to clear a goal bound strike during the minute of madness as a half clearance was sent back through the ruck by the unlucky Williams.
The final action of the half was a shot from distance from Thiam which Collin watched onto his hands. His double fisted punch was met by the referee's whistle and some appreciative applause from behind the goal from the sizeable and noisy travelling support.
Barnsley saw plenty of the ball in the opening 10 minutes of the second period but poor passes and more hesitancy meant it mostly came to nothing. A deflected cross from Pinillos was a moment for concern, but it was too far in front of Woodrow and he could do nothing about it.
The forward was even more disappointed when a cross from deep came off his chest. It had no direction and it squirmed agonisingly past the upright. Woodrow was the man on the spot again when a half clearance fell his way just outside the area. His shot had power but, once again, it spun well wide.
The referee caused all kinds of confusion on 57 minutes when Iredale sparked a fantastic move with a clipped pass to McKirdy, following some excellent work from Jones on the halfway line. The wide man went on a sprint, and he was upended in the box just as he tapped the ball to Thomas, who expertly finished it off. Unfortunately the whistle had already gone for the penalty, and the referee was spared some huge blushes when Jack Bridge stepped up to send Collins the wrong way with his well-taken spot kick.
Barnsley tried to get themselves back in it and a delivery from Williams was flicked onto the upright by Woodrow. Thiam stayed deep to pick up the rebound but Collin was there again with another diving punch.
Some more tasty icing was applied to the cake just after the hour when Nathan Thomas kept his cool as he took the ball into his stride. He dropped a shoulder, beat his man and picked his spot as he sent Collins sprawling with the ball already running over the line.
Carlisle started to control the pace of the game and the next opening didn't come until the 75th minute when Woodrow jumped highest to meet a cross from Pinillos. It was on target but Collin needed just one pace to his left before he gathered it in.
The clock ticked down, as United stifled everything that came their way, and they were the width of the woodwork away from making it four for the night when Scougall slid a measured shot past Collins. The rebound was cleared onto Hope's boot, but it fell kindly for the red shirts and they were able to get it away.
That was that as the referee blew time on what will go down as a cup shock, even though those who were there will know that it was nothing of the sort as the better side deservedly claimed their goals and their place in the second round draw.
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Goals
Carlisle United - McKirdy (24), Bridge (58 pen), Thomas (63)
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Bookings
Barnsley - Styles (48), Andersen (57), Bahre (83)
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Teams
Barnsley - Collins (gk), J Williams, Andersen, McGeehan (c), Woodrow, Chaplin (Bahre 60), Styles (Miller 79), Pinillos, Halme, Thiam, Wilks (L Thomas 60). Subs - Radlinger (gk), B Williams, Sibbick, Moon.
Carlisle United - Collin (gk)(c), Elliott, Webster, Knight-Percival, Iredale, Scougall, Jones, Bridge, N Thomas (Hope 76), Loft (Hayden 81), McKirdy (Olomola 65). Subs - Gray (gk), Mellish, Branthwaite, Sagaf.
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Referee - Ben Toner
Assistant Referee 1 - Anthony Moore
Assistant Referee 2 - Paul Newhouse
Fourth Official - Mark Jones
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Attendance - 5,208 (385 away fans)