Harrogate Town 3 Carlisle United 0: Carlisle United went down to their heaviest defeat since Paul Simpson's return after an insipid display at Harrogate.

Jack Diamond scored twice with Rory McArdle also on target for the hosts at the EnviroVent Stadium.

Carlisle offered little in response in their first game after sealing survival in League Two.

It saw them drop to 20th place in the division with manager Simpson later describing the display as "embarrassing" and "shambolic".

Home dangerman Diamond opened the scoring with an 18th-minute header with McArdle doubling their lead nine minutes later.

After Lewis Alessandra failed to take United's best chances after the break, Diamond wrapped up the point with another for Harrogate in added time.

It was a result which saw the home side back to winning ways after a previous run of eight defeats in ten - while United suffered their fifth defeat under Simpson with two games of the campaign to go.

United boss Simpson named an unchanged side in Yorkshire, with Alessandra getting another start in attack.

On the bench, Corey Whelan returned after illness, with Tobi Sho-Silva not in the 18-man squad.

Harrogate boss Simon Weaver recalled fit-again Alex Pattison, while ex-Blues striker Mark Beck was on the hosts' bench.

And after an early opening for Jordan Gibson was thwarted by a Harrogate challenge, it was the hosts who had comfortably the better of the opening stages.

Luke Armstrong headed a George Thomson cross wide on ten minutes before being denied at the near post by Mark Howard.

Carlisle were off the pace and showing next to nothing going forward, while Sunderland loanee Diamond was a growing threat with his trickery for Harrogate.

The opener came from that route, the home dangerman slipping past two Carlisle defenders and feeding the ball right - before getting on the end of the cross in acres of space to head past keeper Howard, who came off his line too late to try and intercept.

Nine minutes later, it was 2-0 to Weaver's side.

After Brennan Dickenson was penalised for a clumsy challenge, McArdle got behind the Blues back line to head home Thomson's free-kick in the 27th minute.

It was a comfortable lead for the hosts, who should have added a third when Pattison was played in by Jack Muldoon, but Howard saved with his feet.

A rare United attempt from Joe Riley, easily saved by Joe Cracknell, was paltry return from the Blues in a half where they had struggled to make anything happen through midfield or up front.

Simpson resisted the temptation to make changes at the break, and Armstrong was denied by Howard early in the second half.

United defender Dynel Simeu then landed awkwardly and, despite playing on for a few minutes after treatment, was substituted on 50 minutes, forward Tyrese Omotoye coming on.

That saw Carlisle change shape to 4-2-3-1 and Simpson's side finally looked a better attacking threat, Dickenson testing Cracknell with a powerful shot from the right and Omari Patrick curling wide on the break.

Better play from the Blues saw Joe Riley then pick out Alessandra, but Cracknell made a good reaction save from the striker's header.

Harrogate then came very close to a third when Pattison's shot deflected to Muldoon, who hit the underside of the bar with a fierce shot from the left on 63 minutes.

Alessandra had another chance when Jack Armer's ball forward found him behind the defence in space, but his attempted volley was scuffed wide - and Simpson then replaced him with Kristian Dennis.

United had penalty claims turned down when a Patrick shot struck a defender, Omotoye's follow-up attempt deflected wide.

At the other end, Pattison overhit a chip as he broke past Jon Mellish and Diamond hit the side-netting when Harrogate broke from a Dickenson long throw.

A third United sub, Kelvin Mellor - on for Devine - then lost possession as Muldoon tested Howard again from the left of the box, before Pattison again had a shot blocked on the break.

Gibson tested Cracknell in the 88th minute from the edge of the box as Simpson's side continued to search for a way back.

And Harrogate passed up another chance to add to their tally in the 90th minute when, from one of several counter-attacks, Simon Power fired over the bar from Pattison's pass.

But finally they did get a third when Diamond was playe through in added time and he finished clinically low past Howard to inflict Carlisle's heaviest defeat since Simpson's return.

Harrogate: Cracknell, Burrell, McArdle, Sheron, Power, Thomson, Austerfield, Pattison, Diamond, Muldoon, Armstrong (Martin 84). Not used: Giles, Beck, Legge, Ilesanmi, O’Boyle.

Goals: Diamond 18, 90; McArdle 26.

Booked: Austerfield, Sheron.

United: Howard, Simeu (Omotoye 50), Feeney, Mellish, Armer, Riley, Devine (Mellor 80), Dickenson Gibson, Patrick, Alessandra (Dennis 69). Not used: Norman, McDonald, Whelan, Roberts.

Booked: Devine, Feeney.

Ref: Rebecca Welch.

Crowd: 2,707 (600 United fans).