Fleetwood Town 1 Carlisle United 1: Blues bottom despite draw

Owen Moxon's stunning opener was cancelled out by Jayden Stockley in the first half, and neither of these strugglers could claim the advantage from there.

It was a more competitive Blues showing than against Cheltenham Town on Saturday, as Paul Simpson gave teenage keeper Gabe Breeze his debut after dropping Tomas Holy.

The 19-year-old gave an assured display...but Carlisle are now eight games without a win in League One - and five points adrift of the safety line.

Moxon shot them ahead in style with an impressive strike from outside the box on 27 minutes.

But eight minutes later and Carlisle failed to prevent Phoenix Patterson setting up Stockley's close-range equaliser.

Ryan Edmondson had chances to win it early in the second half before Fleetwood applied late pressure to no avail.

Owen Moxon scores (Image: Richard Parkes)

Carlisle are now bottom of League One at the halfway stage and with even more work to do in order to mount a survival push.

Simpson responded to Holy's error in the 1-0 defeat to Cheltenham by dropping the big Czech in favour of teenage Cumbrian Breeze.

The 19-year-old from Penrith's senior debut came four days ahead of his 20th birthday as Simpson handed the academy product his big chance.

His call-up came as the United boss made four other changes to his starting XI.

In came Moxon, Taylor Charters, Edmondson and Sean Maguire, and onto the bench went Jordan Gibson, Dylan McGeouch, Joe Garner and Luke Plange.

They lined up against a Fleetwood side who included Maleace Asamoah, son of ex-Blues favourite Derek, while two changes to Lee Johnson's XI saw former United loan striker Jack Marriott back in the side along with Harrison Holgate, with Callum Dolan and Connor Teale the players dropping to the bench.

Breeze received a warm ovation from the travelling fans as he took his place in goal, and Carlisle began the game in solid fashion.

It was an opening period of few chances, Marriott shooting well wide for the hosts after some good close control, but United putting together some promising spells of possession.

Jayden Stockley scores from close range past United debutant keeper Gabe Breeze (Image: Richard Parkes)

They lacked an end product, with a new front three of Charters, Edmondson and Maguire looking for openings, but Carlisle settled better than Fleetwood.

Breeze made a confident claim to defuse an attack involving Brendan Wiredu, and then United built another spell which led to the opening goal.

After United worked their way in from the left, Alfie McCalmont saw a shot blocked but when it fell to Moxon 25 yards out, the midfield sent a superb strike past keeper Jay Lynch.

It was the Denton Holme midfielder's third of the season and his first since August.

Carlisle's travelling fans were jubilant and Maguire was denied a second by a home defender's block.

But the Blues' lead was then snuffed out in the space of just eight minutes when Patterson found space on the left and his low cross found Stockley in front of Sam Lavelle to turn it past Breeze.

Fleetwood then saw handball appeals against Jon Mellish ignored by ref Adam Herczeg, before McCalmont got back to block a Patterson shot, and an added-time corner was headed over the bar by Bosun Lawal, the home side ending the first half on top.

United then came close to regaining the lead four minutes into the second half when Maguire stole back possession in the Fleetwood box and teed up the unmarked Edmondson, but a last-ditch defensive block prevented a goal.

Ryan Edmondson in action (Image: Richard Parkes)

And Edmondson came close again after chasing down keeper Lynch, winning the ball and trying to chip the stranded keeper, but only sending his shot wide of the left-hand post.

Carlisle were on top again in this spell, though Mellish had to show impressive timing to deny Asamoah as the Fleetwood man counter-attacked.

That was the end of Asamoah's involvement as he was replaced as part of a double Fleetwood change on 63 minutes.

Simpson later responded with two subs of his own, Gibson and Plange replacing Charters and Maguire, before Stockley failed to control a Wiredu pass in a promising Fleetwood position.

The hosts had another handball shout dismissed as United blocked a header from a Patterson corner, before Gibson saw an attempt blocked after Carlisle revived an attack following a Robinson corner.

Fleetwood had most of the play in the closing stages but couldn't force a way through, while Carlisle created nothing of note as they held on for a point - captain Lavelle injured in added time and replaced by Ben Barclay before the end.

Fleetwood: Lynch, Heneghan, Holgate (Dolan 63), Lawal, Johnston, Wiredu, Earl, Patterson (Hayes 88), Asamoah (Quitirna 63), Stockley, Marriott (Tshimanga 72). Not used: McMullan, Teale, Johnson.

Goal: Stockley 35.

Booked: Way (asst mgr), Wiredu.

United: Breeze, Emmanuel, Armer, Lavelle (Barclay 90), Mellish, Robinson, Moxon, Charters (Gibson 72), McCalmont, Edmondson, Maguire (Plange 72). Not used: Holy, Butterworth, Garner, McGeouch.

Goal: Moxon 27.

Ref: Adam Herczeg.

Crowd: 3,862 (1,079 United fans).