The performance was an improvement on the debacle at Hull on Saturday, but they still looked second best against a Scunthorpe side who leap-frogged the Cumbrians to leave them third bottom.

Roddy Collins needs to pick up his players, who are now looking short on confidence, before their bottom-of-the-table clash with Boston on Saturday.

Things have not gone according to plan in recent weeks, but Collins knows what is required and said: "I thought after 10 minutes if we get anything out of this game it will be a miracle. I thought we were awful. We looked like we're playing with a lot of fear. They worked really hard and physically got to grips with the game, but mentally they didn't.

"We need to get injured players back and some fresh blood in because the players can lose belief. I have an eye on two players I can bring into the club on loan straight away, who will strengthen the squad. I need players in who can handle the situation and I still believe we can challenge for the top six by the end of the season."

Early Scunthorpe pressure saw a Steve Torpey header saved by Danny Naisbitt, closely followed by another Naisbitt save from a Scott Brough shot.

Martin Carruthers then headed wide from a Matt Sparrow cross before Carlisle mounted their first real attack on 11 minutes. Trevor Malloy was fouled by Sparrow on the left, Malloy taking the resultant free kick to find Richie Foran on the back post but his header flew narrowly wide.

Scunthorpe finally got the goal they had been threatening on 13 minutes when Graves picked up an Andrews headed clearance on the edge of the box to cross for Torpey to turn in at the far post.

Naisbitt then saved well again from Wright, pushing the 20 yard effort round the post for a corner.

With 23 minutes gone the Cumbrians drew level. The referee changed his mind to give Carlisle a corner after initially awarding a goal kick. David Freeman's corner found Foran at the far post to head into the roof of the net.

On 31 minutes Dawson struck the top of the bar from a short free kick with a 25 yard shot and Torpey headed narrowly over from a deep Wright cross.

Four minutes into the second half the Iron were unlucky not to regain the lead when Brough picked up a ball on the edge of the box, before going past Birch to shoot across Naisbitt only to hit the far post, with Sparrow failing to control the rebound.

Two minutes later Brough popped up again but Naisbitt got down well to turn the shot away.

Sparrow should then have scored after going past Birch in the box only to wildly shoot over the bar.

The inevitable goal came on 73 minutes when Dawson's lob forward was helped on by the head of Torpey for Carruthers to lob over the advancing Naisbitt into the net.

Two minutes later the game was put beyond doubt as Torpey turned Andrews in the box before smashing a right foot shot past the helpless Naisbitt.

Nixon and Molloy both went close for the Cumbrians in the dying minutes but the at that stage the damage had already been done.

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