The first of United's EFL Trophy group fixtures was against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night.
Manager Paul Simpson made a number of changes to the squad with just Fin Back and Jon Mellish surviving as starters from the Saturday home win over Shrewsbury.
There were first starts of the season for Terry Ablade, Jayden Harris, Corey Whelan, Jack Robinson and the newest of the arrivals, Josh Kayode.
A long ball forward from the kick off from McGeouch found Kayode in space, and his header towards the 18-yard box had to be stopped. Harris latched onto the loose pieces but, with just 11 seconds on the clock, his snapshot rose too high.
Martin got on the ball in the Carlisle half for the home team and he fed it forward for Lowe to chase. He crossed from wide but Holy was comfortable.
United looked lively when Ablade showed strength out wide to keep control. His cross was a beauty but it was nicked away from McCalmont before he could finish it off.
Stanley broke and Lowe was once again in a good area. His cut back eventually came to Woods, 19-yards out, but he couldn't keep his side-footed effort down.
A training ground corner routine saw Nolan roll the ball for the unmarked Quirk to greet, and there were ooohs from the home fans as it whistled just over the bar.
United were slick on 13 minutes as Ablade played a short pass to McCalmont in a very advanced area. He made it to the byeline, then he looked up to see Kayode with room to spare. The striker took a touch before firing but McIntyre dived low to make a fine save.
Ellis and McCalmont had volleys blocked as the Blues stayed forward, but that left space for Adedoyin to exploit. He carried it across the face of the area and was disappointed to see his low drive creep just wide.
Carlisle came again thanks to another solid challenge from Ablade that invited McCalmont to push on. His punt on the run clipped Kayode and McIntyre did well to get across to make the save, with the deflection threatening to take it in.
There was a scare for Brad Hills on 22 minutes when he found himself under pressure and facing his own nets. His back pass was rushed and he was mightily relieved to see it go wide as the keeper missed his clearing kick.
Purpose from Robinson made something from nothing as he got his head over the ball with a run at the heart of the back line. A thundering piledriver had to be clawed away by the fingertips of a stretched Jack McIntyre.
The corner from Robinson was excellent, and Mellish appeared to have the goal at his mercy as he made it his own. He got slightly in front of the flight and his connection headed back towards the far post.
Adedoyin struck wide on the sprint as he tried to make things happen for the hosts, but Kayode was denied an opportunity to register when he was sliced to the floor on the edge of the area. The referee allowed play to continue, and McCalmont's attempted lob was hooked high by a defender as it left the stopper for dead. The visiting bench was furious that a free kick wasn't awarded, and even more so when Lowe went close at the other end.
Carlisle thought they'd done enough when McCalmont and Ablade linked up on the angle of the box. The forward unleashed one through legs and Harris was first to the parry. The keeper did enough to stop that, and he was up quickly to make a third save in quick succession as McCalmont searched for glory.
Adedoyin scissor-kicked wide deep into time added on for the first half, but it remained locked in a stalemate as the whistle blew.
A foul on Adedoyin dead central and a foot outside the 18-yard box gave Stanley real hope a minute into the second period. Nolan beat the wall with a rasper, but Holy threw himself at it to make a two-handed save.
Hills nodded high and wild at the back stick when he got on the end of free kick from Nolan, with things tight all over the pitch, and even one cross after another from Nolan and Woods couldn't find a red shirt.
The dangerous Jack Nolan rattled the base of the post with a fierce left-footed grasscutter with just over 20 minutes left to play, and Adedoyin was wasteful moments later with a scuff that started on the bend and ended in the stand.
Stanley enjoyed a good spell of pressure, without quite managing to find the final ingredient, and that was summed up when Nolan was put through by Martin. He drilled his effort straight at Holy.
Substitute Jordan Gibson found himself in a race with McIntyre as the keeper pounded off his line, and the glovesman did just about enough keep his sheet clean.
Garner was nudged off a Robinson cross with no interest shown from the officials as he appealed, and it proved to be a big moment as Nolan got forward on the left flank once the dust had settled. A double ricochet put him through, and he celebrated as his cross came off Whelan's calf and crossed the line via the underside of the bar.
There was a chance to equalise when Edmondson used pace and strength to bear down on the target, but McIntyre stayed big to make a save from a low shot with his boots.
Rosaire Longelo curled a wicked shot onto the post with an attempt that came from nowhere as the second hand ticked down, and Stanley took the points from a game that could have gone either way.
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Goals
Accrington Stanley - Whelan (og 87)
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Bookings
Accrington Stanley - Hills (36), Coyle (52), Martin (79)
Carlisle United - Mellish (20), Harris (39), Ablade (54), McCalmont (88), Robinson (89)
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Teams
Accrington Stanley - McIntyre, Hills, Coyle (c) (B Woods 85), Lowe, Quirk (Patrick 85), Longelo, Gubbins, Nolan, Martin, J Woods (O'Brien 64), Adedoyin (Whalley 74). Subs - Savin (gk), Sloane, Pickles.
Carlisle United - Holy, Back (Butterworth 46), Ellis, Whelan (c), Mellish, Robinson, McCalmont, McGeouch (Charters 62), Harris (Edmondson 84), Ablade (Gibson 72), Kayode (Garner 63). Subs - Breeze, Lavelle.
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Match officials
Referee - Scott Jackson
Assistant Referee 1 - Christopher Ward
Assistant Referee 2 - Steve Durnall
Fourth Official - Michael Barlow
Observer - Andrew Himsworth
Coach - Michael Jones
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Attendance - 888 (187)