A splendid defensive performance from Carlisle, which at times bordered on the frantic, denied the Robins, who now find themselves with a difficult trip to champions Plymouth on Saturday still needing a point.

Ironically Carlisle visit Cheltenham's nearest rivals Mansfield and they will be looking to the Cumbrians to do them the greatest of favours.

Acting manager Billy Barr was full of praise for his young side and said: "I thought they shaded the first half and we were the better team in the second half.

"They are dangerous on set-pieces. They work for that by getting the ball in and around the final third. But I thought we defended absolutely magnificently.

"There was always a body there, people throwing themselves down the line of the ball and I thought we deserved a point."

Cheltenham got forward from the start with Tony Naylor shooting wide in the first minute.

Julian Alsop then headed straight at Peter Keen from a Russell Milton cross as the Robins kept up the pressure with Milton shooting wide from an Alsop flick.

Alsop's height was causing problems for the Carlisle defence and he again went close, heading over from a Milton corner. Lee Williams then fired wide with 33 minutes gone as Carlisle slowly got into the game.

On 37 minutes, the Cumbrians' first attempt on goal saw Brendan McGill's goal-bound effort blocked for a corner by Milton. From Stuart Bell's corner Lee Andrews' header was turned away at full stretch by Steve Book.

With Carlisle finishing the half the stronger, Foran's cross-field ball found Bell, who cut inside before firing in a right-foot shot which Book saved low to his right.

Cheltenham started the second half with more urgency, illustrated by a 60-second spell on the hour when Peter Keen was again Carlisle's hero.

Duff had a header brilliantly tipped round the post by Keen for a corner, from which a Yates shot from close range was parried away by Keen, with the Cumbrian keeper then having to react quickly to save a Yates header.

On 74 minutes Lee should have got that vital Cheltenham goal but blazed over the bar after Alsop's knock down gave him space.

In injury time Grayson's header shaved the bar from a Lee corner but Carlisle went close themselves when Winstanleys's header from an Allan cross was cleared for a corner by Victory.

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