Carlisle United 2 Port Vale 1: Mellish seals much-needed win

The defender met Jack Robinson's 93rd-minute corner to take United off the bottom of League One.

Much-improved Carlisle came from behind in the second half with Jordan Gibson's penalty cancelling out Ben Garrity's Vale opener.

Mellish's goal then earned a first win in ten league games and cut United's gap to the safety line to three points, as they moved up to 22nd.

It was also a first win for Carlisle since the Piataks' takeover, the American family watching from the directors' box as United claimed their dramatic result.

Mellish (No22) heads home (Image: Ben Holmes)

Paul Simpson's side earned the outcome with a performance of good appetite and endeavour, with young keeper Gabe Breeze making a vital double save on his home debut, in a game watched by 7,758 fans and new signing Luke Armstrong, who can make his debut against fellow strugglers Exeter City next Saturday.

Simpson made three changes for the first game of the year, with Gibson, Joe Garner and Taylor Charters all coming back into the team at the expense of Alfie McCalmont, Ryan Edmondson and Jack Armer following Friday's 2-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic.

There was a first Brunton Park start for Breeze in goal, while Luke Plange was again out of the squad.

Port Vale named an unchanged XI after their impressive 3-0 win over Blackpool on Friday, though there was no place in the squad for their ex-Carlisle striker Ryan Loft.

The visitors forced the first opportunity in the second minute but Uche Ikpeazu's attempt was wayward.

Gibson tested keeper Connor Ripley with a whipped free-kick for Carlisle - who began with a wing-back system - before Owen Moxon sliced a shot wide.

Luke Armstrong was at the game (Image: Barbara Abbott)

In the main it was half chances at best although the 11th minute saw a clearer United opening, when good work on the left led to Sean Maguire breaking into the box, darting past challenges but failing to prod his shot past the advancing Ripley.

The visitors then grew into a more composed spell of possession, Ethan Chislett shooting wide after drifting into space, and Moxon doing plenty of important covering work to help United cut out other Vale attacks.

Maguire almost fed Garner on the run before the visitors lost defender Jesse Debrah to injury, Alex Iacovitti replacing him in the 29th minute.

Carlisle prevented Andy Crosby's side making serious inroads and then a free-kick saw Garner tee up Jack Robinson, who fired over the bar from the edge of the box.

A further Gibson set-piece from the right then found Sam Lavelle at the far post, but Ripley was equal to his first-time finish, and then Charters went agonisingly close when supplied by Lavelle as Carlisle had their visitors chasing.

Before the break Moxon forced another chance by intercepting a Vale defensive pass and curling the ball low into the box, but Garner couldn't control it and Ripley smothered.

It had, though, been a positive half in all but the finish and gave United's fans hope of that long-awaited win.

Port Vale made two more changes at the break, Conor Grant and Gavin Massey replacing Ben Lomax and Jack Shorrock.

Sean Maguire had one of United's best first-half chances (Image: Ben Holmes)

And it took the visitors just three minutes to punish Carlisle as, first, a driving attack forced a corner and then, from the short delivery, United allowed Vale to work it back to Chislett in acres on the left, and his low cross was eventually met by Garrity, who sent it low past Breeze.

United tried to hit back and Gibson picked out Maguire in the box, but the forward sent a first-time attempt past the post.

Emmanuel almost set up something else while Garner got little joy from the officials as he battled defenders in the box.

On the hour mark Breeze kept the deficit to one with a strong double-save from James Wilson and Chislett, before Dan Butterworth and Edmondson arrived in a double change by Simpson.

Jordan Gibson levels from the spot (Image: Barbara Abbott)

McCalmont then replaced Charters and soon had a shot blocked, Carlisle doing all the pushing as they tried to find a way back.

And their opportunity finally came when Robinson broke onto the ball to the left of the box and found himself hauled down by Nathan Smith.

Gibson stepped up and kept his composure to send Ripley the wrong way, the penalty bringing the midfielder's eighth goal of the season.

Carlisle then looked for a late winner, sub Butterworth turning and rifling a Mellish cross just over the bar.

Jack Robinson and Jon Mellish celebrate the winner (Image: Barbara Abbott)

And they finally landed the winner when Butterworth earned a corner which Robinson curled into the heart of the box and Mellish found space to power it home.

United: Breeze, Barclay, Lavelle, Mellish, Emmanuel, Robinson, Moxon, Charters (McCalmont 76), Gibson, Maguire (Butterworth 65), Garner (Edmondson 65). Not used: Holy, Armer, Whelan, McGeouch.

Goals: Gibson 80pen, Mellish 90.

Booked: Robinson, Mellish, Moxon.

Port Vale: Ripley, Smith, Debrah (Iacovitti 29), Lowe, Shorrock (Grant 46), Lomax (Massey 46), Garrity (Balmer 81), Chislett, Devine, Ikpeazu, Wilson (Dipepa 65). Not used: Leutwiler, Walters.

Goal: Garrity 48.

Booked: Iacovitti.

Ref: Thomas Kirk.

Crowd: 7,758 (622 Port Vale fans).