But the Cumbrians will be disappointed not to have taken something from a game where the league leaders were less than convincing at times, but they did have that little extra quality where it mattered by burying the two clear cut chances they had in the game.

Carlisle now face three successive away games including a visit to fellow strugglers Shrewsbury on Tuesday week, in a game that is likely have a large bearing on who falls into the Conference.

Manager Roddy Collins now needs his players to roll up their sleeves and battle over the remaining four games. “I am bitterly disappointed, considering the way we conceded the goals, we were back to our old selves. We were loose in and around the box for the two goals particularly the second one. A set piece where no one took command and Paul Raven was badly missed in that situation.

“I felt in the first half we had the better of the play again but the goal wouldn’t come and after going two down we showed great character but it just wasn’t enough today.

“Will McDonagh is now out for the rest of the season so it’s backs to the wall and is now the most precarious situation we could be in. There’s no doubt about that. But we’ve just got to face up to the situation and handle it.”

Carlisle almost got off to the perfect start with three minutes gone. Craig Russell turned Andy Edwards inside out on the left before crossing for Craig Farrell to side foot narrowly over the bar.

For all their neat approach play the Diamonds were causing few problems for the Carlisle defence but Stuart Gray and Stuart Wardley combined well to set up Dean Holdsworth only for the former Bolton man to shoot over the bar.

Wardley went close twice, blasting over from a Gray layoff and then shooting narrowly over from 25 yards.

As halftime approached the Cumbrians were unlucky not to take the lead. Firstly Russell’s 20 yard free kick was brilliantly turned away by Billy Turley, followed by a Will McDonagh header from Jon McCarthy’s cross turned for a corner by Turley.

But after the break Diamonds took control of the game. On 55 minutes Duane Darby’s cross was dummied by Marcus Bignot to leave Wardley clear to rifle home from 15 yards.

Eight minutes later the game was effectively sown up when a Burgess free-kick was headed home by Andy Edwards, as the Carlisle defence switched off.

Matty Glennon then brilliantly turned a Paul Hall shot over the bar as the Diamonds threatened to run riot. But Stuart Green breathed life back into tired Carlisle legs with ten minutes remaining. Brian Wake got away down the right and when Turley could only palm the cross away, Green pounced to set up an interesting finale.

But Mark Summerbell’s red card for a shocking challenge on Wardley, effectively stopped their building momentum with Ryan Baldacchino coming closest to retrieving a point, but Underwood made a timely tackle to block the shot for a corner.