Even an early lead failed to spark the perennial strugglers, with Hartlepool dominating for most of the game and left wondering how the only managed three goals.

Roddy Collins has now used 27 players so far this season and is still no nearer finding a winning formula.

Due to the number of players on contract, that he doesn’t want, he is now struggling to bring in anymore players until he offloads some of his existing squad. It is unlikely that his directors will allow an increase in the wage bill on the back of falling gates that, following this performance, are only likely to get worse.

Collins said after the game: “They were a better side than us overall through the whole game. They were physically stronger, more balanced and well organised. They are a good solid side I can’t see them finishing outside the top six. We got a great start when we caught them by playing three up front early on. When you get an early goal you have got to learn how to keep it and we don’t seem to be able to do it. Commitment wise you can’t fault them but at the end of the day commitment doesn’t win you games, you need quality and that little bit extra we just don’t have. We need to add four or five players but we are paying a huge amount of money out every week for players not involved and it’s killing the club financially. Decisions have to be made, do we take a step forward and commit to bringing players in and I will meet with Mark Knighton during the week. We need new players in to sort the situation out and I hope people realise that when the new players come in we will do it.”

Carlisle got off to a dream start after three minutes play, when a Richie Foran run held off a chasing defender before getting in a rasping drive which Anthony Williams could only parry away, with Chay Hews on hand to force the loose ball home.

Hartlepool were unlucky not to equalise on 18 minutes when a short free kick fell to Mark Robinson who saw his rasping thirty yard drive rebound to safety off Peter Keen’s left hand post.

Paul Stephenson then pulled a shot wide before Keen pulled off an acrobatic save to turn over a Mark Tinkler effort.

With Hartlepool pressure mounting the home side got a deserved equaliser on 34 minutes. Stepehenson had a shot blocked with the loose ball falling to Tinkler who made no mistake from close range.

Five minutes from half time Hartlepool should have taken the lead when Keen fumbled a corner but Gordon Watson wasted a wonderful opportunity by dragging his shot wide.

Little had been seen of Carlisle going forward and Foran wasted a rare chance, hitting his shot straight at Williams, after making space for himself down the left.

Six minutes into the second half a slip by Dave Rogers let in Watson only for the ex Premiership striker to drag his shot wide with only Keen to beat.

On the hour a physical match turned sour as Lee Andrews appeared to elbow Hartlepool’s Kevin Henderson while waiting for a corner to be taken, with the Pool man retaliating. After consulting his assistant, referee Phil Joslin red carded both players for violent conduct.

Six minutes later Hartlepool took a deserved lead, with Watson atoning for his earlier misses by outpacing Mark Winstanley to shoot across Keen into the bottom corner.

In a rare Carlisle attack Winstanley headed over from substitute Michael Jack’s cross before Watson again broke through the Carlisle defence only to have his shot blocked by Keen.

On 83 minutes the Cumbrians found themselves down to nine men when a reckless Tony Hopper challenge on Tommy Widdrington saw the substitute midfielder heading for an early shower.

Hartlepool wrapped the game up with two minutes remaining when Adam Boyd ran into acres of space down the left side of the penalty area before despatching a low shot past the advancing Keen.

Further goals should have come in injury time but Graeme Lee and Widdrington both spurned good chances.

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