On a pitch that cut up badly, both sides found it difficult to play any meaningful football. As a result chances were limited throughout, making Steve Soley’s match-winner on 71 minutes priceless.

Manager Roddy Collins was content with the three points and happy to grind out the result. He said: “We didn’t have the natural width on the right I would have liked and were unable to play our flowing football. But at the end of the day you don’t always play with style and win, but the most important thing is you win and we won today and that’s all that matters. It’s another three points to get you away from the bottom and that’s our task this season but we will not be comfortable until we are mathematically safe. Then we build for next season.”

Carlisle, boosted by the return of Brendan McGill, were soon into their stride with Stuart Green firing over and Soley firing wide.

The early flurry soon diminished as boredom set it, as both teams gave the ball away far too often to create much in the way of entertainment.

But with 20 minutes gone the Grecians were unlucky not to take the lead. An Andy Roscoe corner was only cleared back to him and he found Christian Roberts in the box, who turned to hit his shot against the bar.

Two minutes later the Cumbrians themselves almost snatched the lead. One of the few flowing moves of the match, saw Peter Murphy make room on the right to get in a cross for Richie Foran to head on for Steve Halliday to hit a stunning first time volley, only for Stuart Fraser to save at full stretch.

Green then miss-hit his shot from a good position following a McGill cross and Foran headed over from Murphy’s cross.

Exeter again squandered a great chance to take the lead when Roscoe put Roberts clear, only to pull his shot wide after Peter Keen had done enough to tighten the angle.

Seven minutes into the second half a training ground move almost gave Carlisle the lead. Foran peeled off at the back post to head Green’s free kick back across goal but Murphy’s left foot shot flew over the bar.

Carlisle repeated the exercise four minutes later, this time Winstanley blasting over. But the Grecians failed to head the warning as the Cumbrians made it third time lucky in finding their match winner with nineteen minutes remaining.

Murphy’s free kick found Foren at the back post with Soley scrambling the loose ball over at the second attempt with a header.

Substitute Jonny Allan then went close with a dipping volley from thirty yards but Exeter should have pulled level in the last minute.

A Roscoe corner from the right saw Steve Flack steal a yard on his marker but Keen did just enough to force Flack to head narrowly wide.

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