United played the first of their Papa Johns Trophy group games with Manchester United's U21 team the visitors on Tuesday night.
It was all change from manager Paul Simpson, with just Omari Patrick and Corey Whelan the starters from Saturday's home win over Gillingham who were in the match night eleven.
The evening provided a first appearance in a blue shirt for Michael Kelly, and first starts for Duncan Idehen and Jack Stretton.
Fit again Taylor Charters was involved, also for the first time this season, with valuable pitch time lined up for the remainder of the squad.
United had an early chance, with just two minutes on the clock, when a flighted ball ricocheted towards Stretton. Vitek stayed big as the striker strode forward, and he dived to make an excellent save when the shot came in.
The visitors fashioned a chance of their own as they kept possession in front of the Carlisle back line. Mainoo took matters into his own hands with a confident push, but he dragged his 23-yard effort wide of the upright.
A cross from tight by the corner flag from Stretton dipped wickedly as the blue shirts picked the pace up, and the stopper had to show good hands as he pulled it out of the sky and into his chest.
Stretton was involved again when Hilton cleverly dinked a through ball for him to chase. Hardley had shadowed him and the defender did enough to put him off as he shaped to strike.
Sharp movement from Iqbal saw him bounce passes off Forson as he chipped away at getting into the area from a deep start. He tried to place his shot but it came back off Whelan, onto his calf, and behind for a goal kick.
Hilton volleyed at the top corner at the other end, when he took an awkward bouncer on the chest, but Vitek gathered at the second attempt, having parried it into the ground.
A back-heel from Ellis gave Harris the merest of glimpses, after good work from Patrick had started the press, and his grasscutter from an angle was touched for a corner by the leaping keeper.
Rhys Bennett hooked a difficult connection over the bar after a corner was nodded back his way at the other end, and the Cumbrians had a set piece of their own when Ellis feinted to cross.
Hilton delivered a rasper, and Idehen thought he'd scored with a stinger of a header. Whelan and Harris looked to keep it alive after Vitek had got important gloves to it, but the offside flag went up.
Carlisle knocked on the door again on 29 minutes when Stretton went past his marker. His delivery was deflected and Charters latched onto it with a thundering drive, 10-yards out. Fredrickson got his body in the way.
The Red Devils were a whisker away from registering in the next attack when Forson popped it to Iqbal in the centre circle. He fed it for Garnacho, who stepped inside Whelan before sweeping his boot through the shot. Kelly was beaten and relieved to see it edge over the bar.
A home break, which saw Patrick use pace and strength, almost paid dividends when the forward looked to put it on a plate for Stretton. The striker was ready to finish it off until Fredrickson got just enough on it to take it away.
It was the away side who took the lead on 40 minutes when tenacity inside the Carlisle half saw the red shirts win two consecutive 50:50 challenges. Iqbal put it wide for Garnacho to cross, and Charlie McNeill made no mistake with a crisp first-time finish.
The under-21 side were suddenly confident and Gore was an inch away as he set himself from another Garnacho pass. He was ready celebrate until it flew just past the target.
Kelly had to get his fingertips to a long-range skidder from Forson just before the break, and Hardley was picked out by Iqbal from the corner that followed. Two-yards out at the back post he came under real pressure, and his touch spun away from the nets.
United won a corner deep into time added on for the period, after Ellis had slipped Harris beyond the back line, and Hilton once again floated it to the far post. It was directed at Feeney, but his header was too close to the keeper.
Owen Moxon came on for Taylor Charters for the second half, with the Blues switching to a back four, with Duncan Idehen in the left back berth.
The hosts moved the ball from left to right in their first attack, and that earned them a corner. Hilton delivered, but Harris popped his header high.
Garnacho was the width of the post away from doubling the lead when he made a horrible bounce off Feeney his own. Striding into the area he kept his head down and crunched low, and Kelly had the presence of mind to grab the rebound when it struck him on the back after it had smacked the woodwork.
Carlisle picked up the pace and Patrick ghosted into space inside the area. He dropped a shoulder and pulled it across the face of the nets but it was cut out before Stretton could pounce.
Moxon and Devitt then combined 18-yards out, with the latter going for the bottom corner with a firm drive. Vitek used both hands to dampen it down before falling onto it.
The Red Devils came on the break with Garnacho and Iqbal pulling strings, but Forson was squeezed out of it as he tried to find a gap. The home team broke, with Patrick using strength and pace to make his way. His toe poke was blocked, and the moment was gone.
The impact of the arrival of Jon Mellish onto the pitch was immediate, when he linked up with Patrick on a left flank overload. His cut back eventually made its way to Jamie Devitt who smashed it into the roof of the net from close range.
Dan Gore shaved the outside of the post with a 23-yarder as the Red Devils mounted another attack, and Gore tried to finish off a through ball from Forson as the game remained in the balance.
It was a good spell of pressure from the visitors, and Hansen-Aaroen also found the base of the post with a shot off the instep that took a touch off Feeney. The ball was recycled, and Omari Forson wheeled away to celebrate when his effort struck Feeney's shoulder and swirled its way into the bottom corner.
Kelly was superb when he got to a thumping volley from McNeill that was about to bulge the net with away tails high. The keeper held his ground before going the right way.
Devitt was denied a second by a timely challenge from Mainoo when he was fed by Moxon, and Harris thought he'd unpicked the lock when he got to the byline before ripping it through legs. It was just too far in front of Hilton and Moxon.
Blue shirts moved ever further forward, but Patrick was upended as he tried to finish off a pull back from Hilton, inside the six-yard box. His shot curled into the stands.
The last chance of the night was a strike from distance from Hilton that sailed high and it was the 300-plus away fans who celebrated as the whistle blew.
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Match Sponsor - CATAX
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Goals
Carlisle United - Devitt (66)
Manchester United U21 - McNeill (40), Forson (71)
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Bookings
Carlisle United - Edmondson (76), Devitt (76)
Manchester United U21 - Gore (76)
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Teams
Carlisle United - Kelly, Whelan, Feeney (c), Idehen (Mellish 65), Ellis (Gibson 55), Hilton, Harris, Devitt, Charters (Moxon 46), Patrick, Stretton (Edmondson 65). Subs - Breeze (gk), Bollado, Carr.
Manchester United U21 - Vitek, Garnacho (Hansen-Aaroen 65), Iqbal (Huddlestone 65), McNeill (Norkett 83), Jurado, Hardley, Bennett, Forson, Gore (c) (Oyedele 90), Mainoo, Fredrickson (Murray 46). Subs - Matsny, Mather.
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Match officials
Referee - Ben Toner
Assistant Referee 1 - Conor Brown
Assistant Referee 2 - Daniel Woodward
Fourth Official - Richard Wild
Observer - Jeff Ward
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Attendance - 3,331 (450)