Hartlepool United 2 Carlisle United 1: This result and this frankly irrelevant performance might do Carlisle a favour if it wakes everyone up to the improvements needed, which must unavoidably start with work in the transfer market over the next three days.

There were other issues here – a formation that didn’t work, a defence rendered shaky, a midfield and attack which offered paltry things, substitutions that took no effect – but the immediate answer has to be for the Blues to do something significant before Tuesday night’s deadline.

Hartlepool, whose vocal fans were understandably jubilant at full-time, were not sensational here. What they were, though, was energetically persistent, a team operating at least to some of its strengths, the momentum of their recent promotion clear, and optimism apparent in the superbly-taken goals that bagged them a deserved win.

Chris Beech put events from a United perspective down to a lack of “winning enough headers and tackles” and an absence of composure. Carlisle were also, though, deficient in terms of overall shape and the sort of dynamic individual movement that could have upset a strong home record.

In all honesty the Blues could have carried on playing as the seagulls dipped and dived loudly around an empty Victoria Park past 5pm and Pools’ goal would still have stayed intact. It was that sort of non-event of a performance and can’t be repeated if Carlisle have any aspirations this season.

United’s big travelling support deserved far better. They let the players know this in frank terms at full-time, and will undoubtedly increase their demands for the recent Aaron Hayden income to be reinvested in improvements.

Activity before 11pm on Tuesday needs to bring substance, not just potential, into Carlisle’s ranks, which for its various qualities is clearly still lacking one or two sure things.

This was a first league defeat of the season but one win in five is the alternative (and, as of now, more relevant) stat. Carlisle, as you’d expect with those figures, are now in the middle of their division and not scoring enough to give confidence of better.

This was the pre-season fear many supporters held, whatever else the Blues managed to do recruitment-wise, and it is bearing out now. Their solidity of past games was not displayed this time either and, tied to their feeble attempts going forward, cost them.

Perhaps the hint of their shortcomings came early on Saturday, when a third-minute cross was handled inexplicably into the net by Zach Clough, who was booked. At least they got something on the end of that, though; other attempts to make headway were dull-witted and heavy-footed, too often long and hopeful rather than short and acute. Hartlepool had a couple of looseners via Will Goodwin, before the young striker teed up Tyler Burey to fire home their attractive opener.

That came after David Ferguson had picked George Tanner’s pocket when the wing-back lost control at a high ball, and Carlisle were behind in a league game for the first time in 2021/22.

They seldom looked like changing that situation. Morgan Feeney, in the middle of a central defensive three - a system apparently designed to counter Hartlepool's - blocked a Burey shot while Ferguson pressed Tanner into some further discomfort. Gavan Holohan saw a shot repelled and Goodwin missed a back-post chance, and while Hartlepool were not particularly deadly themselves it was still a major surprise when, suddenly, Carlisle did not just thread a useful move together but actually finished it, Jack Armer crossing and Clough poaching a volley.

It was well made, well taken, quite out of keeping and anything but the cue for United to grow. The second half brought no strategic change and a deeply uneventful first 20 minutes before a throw broke for Holohan, who had escaped Jon Mellish in space and volleyed brilliantly in.

It was followed, at the other end, by…nothing. Beech sent on three subs and reverted to 4-3-3, but it all felt rather after the event, and too much of Carlisle’s passing and control remained below standard. Normally, the scuffed, well-wide attempt by Brad Young that happened late in proceedings wouldn’t have been worth noting.

It was here, because it was the very best Carlisle mustered in search of a point. Rod McDonald had also been pressganged into attack by this stage and that summed up the famine of ideas United had brought with them across the A69. It has to be so much better than this.