The scoreline belied the home side's dominance in a one-sided encounter which moves the Cumbrians up the league to fourth from bottom and sets up the trip to Halifax on Tuesday night.

A delighted Ian Atkins said after the game: "We set our stall out and did our jobs properly. That was the best we have played this season, the whole team was superb. If you single anyone out look no further than Ian Stevens, who has scored 16 goals this season at the age of thirty-four. That was probably the best goalkeeping display against us this season; Andy Petterson was superb. The crowd were magnificent again and they all went home buzzing."

In front of the best home league gate of the season Ian Stevens should have scored after two minutes but allowed Gulls keeper Andy Petterson to save at point blank range. It was a taste of things to come.

Two minutes later a Mick Galloway cross was only partially cleared to Mark Birch who shot straight at Petterson.

New loan signing John Cullen then went close on 17 minutes with a right foot shot, followed eight minutes later with a curling right foot shot which Petterson athletically turned over the bar.

Ian Stevens then had a shot pushed away by Petterson as Carlisle gained complete control.

Torquay manager Wes Saunders was sent off for out of turn remarks to the assistant referee after a Carlisle foul went unpunished.

On the stroke of half time Torquay failed to clear Galloway's corner with Dave Morley blasting the loose ball over.

The Cumbrians continued in the second half where they had left off in the first, with Cullen slamming a right foot shot passed the post from 25 yards.

On 52 minutes Cullen's 30 yard free kick was saved by Petterson, closely followed by another Patterson save from Birch.

Six minutes later a Stevens' cross was met by a point blank Dobie header only to be brilliantly turned over by Petterson.

On the hour the Cumbrians finally got that elusive breakthrough, finally overcoming the outstanding Petterson in the Torquay goal. Cullen got away down the left before playing in Stevens. The United top scorer took the ball on before neatly clipping the ball over the advancing Petterson and into the bottom corner of the net for his sixteenth goal of the season.

Three minutes later Galloway played Dobie in but Patterson came out to make another point blank save.

With 71 minutes gone, and all the traffic one way, Ian Stevens latched on to a loose ball only to see his shot cleared off the line by Robbie Herrera with Dobie about to pounce.

The Cumbrians were almost caught on the break when Eifion Williams shot over from the edge of the box.

In true Carlisle style the home supporters had to endure a nervy few minutes until the final whistle but the closest Torquay came was a Law shot comfortably turned over by Glennon.

/Time

/Time

/Time

/Time

/Time

/Time