They now face games, away to Swansea on Saturday and home to Macclesfield next Tuesday, which likely to have a great bearing on the outcome of their season.

With games now starting to run out the Cumbrians are in urgent need of finding a consistent winning formula or find themselves staring into the abyss of Conference football.

Manager Roddy Collins was philosophical in defeat and said: "When you get six one-on-one opportunities you have to hit the back of the net but we didn't do it.

"We knew they were capable of getting goals and we needed to get the next goal, but we didn't get it."

Scunthorpe declared their intentions early in the game that they were looking for all three points. Paul Hayes and Wayne Graves had early chances and Matty Glennon did well on 9 minutes to keep out a Hayes shot after a penetrating run from Martin Carruthers had set his up his strike partner.

Richie Foran had a great chance two minutes later but pulled his shot wide after drawing drawing keeper Tom Evans.

But on 14 minutes Foran made amends by heading Carlisle in front when Craig Farrell headed Adam Rundle's corner back across goal.

Glennon then denied carruthers with a flying save but the Iron drew level on 18 minutes when Peter Beagrie fired home an unstoppable 20-yard free-kick.

As Scunthorpe continued to look the more likely to get a second Hayes rattled a shot just wide and Carruthers penetrating run from the half way line was only thwarted by a brave Glennon save at the strikers feet to deflect the ball for a corner.

Foran then had two golden one on one opportunities within a minute, but Jackson got back to make a saving tackle on the first and Evans blocked the second with his legs for a corner.

Carlisle did increase their tempo after the break and began to dominate without finding the clinical touch to win the game.

Paul Raven headed wide a Stuart Green corner and Evans saved from Farrell and Foran before Scunthorpe made Carlisle pay on 69 minutes for their lack of a cutting edge.

Beagrie placed a quick free-kick into the path of Andy Dawson and his left foot shot crept through the spread-eagled Carlisle wall, eluding Matty Glennon's despairing dive.

Scunthorpe were now comfortable enough to pull players behind the ball and invite the Cumbrians to come onto them. But Carlisle were unable to make any impact with a Farrell shot straight at Evans the nearest they came to rescuing a point.