The result will provide a valuable boost in confidence ahead of tonight’s rearranged cup replay against Scunthorpe United, with the winners facing a home third round tie against Leeds United.

Their performance, particularly in the second half, could well have merited more than a point but manager Roddy Collins was happy that his side had performed and said: “Talk will be of a hard earned point for us but I think it was a hard earned point for them. I thought it was a brilliant performance all round for us. We started off a little bit slow but I felt overall we were very comfortable. We created chances and I thought we should have won it against a very good side and it bodes well.

“I am delighted with the quality of the players we have at the club and their commitment. Once we have the cup games out of the way and get some continuity and settle the situation down I wouldn’t have any fear coming to any ground.”

Diamonds’ hot property Onandi Lowe showed why he is being tracked by bigger clubs, as he headed narrowly over from a Paul Hall cross and then thundered a 35 yard free kick against the bar within the first five minutes.

But Carlisle silenced the home crowd with twelve minutes gone. Jon McCarthy turned Paul Underwood inside out down the right before releasing Craig Farrell to draw keeper Adam Sollitt before slotting home his seventh goal of the season.

Peters headed wide for Diamonds and Richie Foran had a shot saved by Sollitt before the home side drew level on 16 minutes. Hall found space on the right to find Lowe in the box and his header took a deflection off his shoulder to loop into the top corner of the net.

Peter Murphy was then in action blocking a Lowe goalbound effort for a corner and then getting forward where his volley took a deflection, with Sollitt changing direction to make a superb save.

Two minutes into the second half Lee Maddison played a lovely one-two with Farrell but lifted his lob narrowly over the bar.

Lowe was once more proving a handful, heading narrowly wide from Hill’s cross before appearing to be bundled over in the box by Murphy with the referee awarding a goal kick. He was then denied twice by Glennon saves after turning neatly on the edge of the box.

Carlisle finished the stronger, McDonagh blasting a loose ball wide and Farrell missing a one on one with substitute keeper Turley but Glennon had to preserve the point in the last minute, making a double save from Burgess and Duffy with Lowe firing the loose ball wide.