Carlisle United 2-1 Tranmere Rovers: Gibson and Harris send Blues to victory in FA Cup first round

They scored in either half and the Blues held on after a late Neill Byrne goal for Tranmere.

It secured victory in the first round tie at Brunton Park, secured £41,000 prize money and send Paul Simpson's men into Monday night's second round draw.

Gibson scored just before the half-hour mark amid an excellent first-half Blues showing in the all-League Two cup encounter.

Sub Harris then got his first goal for the club in the 65th minute.

READ MORE: Carlisle's ball number and FA Cup second round draw details

Visiting sub Byrne's header in the 81st minute gave Tranmere late hope but Carlisle held on in front of 4,154 fans.

United prevailed despite their latest injury problems which ruled out both Kristian Dennis and Jack Stretton, as Tobi Sho-Silva made his first start of the season.

The Blues ended with a makeshift attack of Taylor Charters and teenage sub Nic Bollado but battled to keep Tranmere out in a nervy closing spell, as young Cumbrian Jack Ellis earned the man of the match award after another fine display at right wing-back.

Gibson returned to the side after suspension as Sho-Silva also came in, Charters and Ellis keeping their places while Fin Back and Sonny Hilton were on the bench after illness and injury respectively.

After a quiet start to the game, Carlisle soon emerged as the dominant force in the first half.

Sho-Silva almost forced an eighth-minute opening before Tranmere broke through Kane Hemmings, who was denied by an excellent Tomas Holy save.

United, with Ellis impressing on the right, then upped the pressure and the young Cumbrian made an excellent run that ended with Callum Guy having a shot blocked.

Ellis almost fed Gibson before a great chance broke to Jon Mellish, only for the defender to rifle narrowly wide.

Carlisle, though, did get themselves in front before the half-hour mark, as Guy broke onto his own header and slotted Sho-Silva through to the right of goal.

Jordan Gibson scores (Image: Ben Holmes)

His low shot was fumbled by visiting keeper Ross Doohan, and Gibson pounced to fire it high into the net.

It was his second of the season and was almost followed by more United goals, Sho-Silva nearly lobbing Doohan after battling past Tom Davies, and then seeing a shot deflected wide when put through after an excellent Paul Huntington challenge.

Carlisle were a step ahead of Mellon's side for the most part and Tranmere, bar a Josh Dacres-Cogley cross which just evaded Ethan Bristow, came up with very little to test the Blues in the opening 45 minutes.

Tranmere boss Mellon made a half-time change, Josh Hawkes replacing Kyle Jameson as the visitors reverted to a back four.

And they were controversially denied an equaliser three minutes into the second half when a hanging cross was headed in by Simeu, but he was penalised as he challenged Holy.

READ MORE: Carlisle v Tranmere - as it happened!

Ellis saw a shot bobble wide for Carlisle before a tiring Sho-Silva was replaced by Harris, Charters moving into the centre of United's attack.

The visitors also made a double change on the hour as Reece McAlear and Elliott Nevitt replaced Paul Lewis and Lee O'Connor.

Hawkes fired over the bar after good work from Kieron Morris for the visitors - but it was Carlisle who struck again to put themselves two ahead on the 65th minute.

The chance came from some excellent pressing deep in Tranmere's half, and when Harris ran onto Charters' pass behind the defence, he dragged it past keeper Doohan before forcing it in at the second attempt, the ball over the line before Simeu could clear.

United celebrate Harris's goal (Image: Ben Holmes)Simpson then handed teenager Bollado his FA Cup debut, the young striker replacing Gibson.

But it was a Tranmere sub, Byrne, who gave the visitors late hope in the 81st minute.

The visitors struck after catching United out from a quick free-kick, Hemmings' shot parried by Holy and Byrne - a replacement for Tom Davies - reacting quickest to head home.

That set up a nervy closing period which saw Nevitt almost break in for Tranmere only for Ellis to make a timely interception.

The visitors forced a string of late corners and applied more pressure, but Carlisle held on in five added minutes to reach the second round.

United: Holy, Feeney, Huntington, Mellish, Ellis, Armer, Guy, Moxon, Gibson (Bollado 76), Charters, Sho-Silva (Harris 59). Not used: Kelly, Hilton, Whelan, Back, Idehen.

Goals: Gibson 29, Harris 65.

Booked: Armer.

Tranmere: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, Bristow, Davies (Byrne 78), Simeu (Taylor 90), Jameson (Hawkes 46), O’Connor (McAlear 60), Merrie, Morris, Lewis (Nevitt 60), Hemmings. Not used: Hewelt, Hughes.

Goal: Byrne 81.

Booked: Davies.

Ref: Declan Bourne.

Crowd: 4,154 (261 Tranmere fans).