Exeter City 2-1 Carlisle United: Blues beaten by rivals

Dan Butterworth's first Blues goal gave Paul Simpson's side late hope at St James Park.

But they failed to complete a comeback after Reece Cole and Sonny Cox had put Exeter in control after the break.

Debutant Luke Armstrong hit the post while Harrison Neal also completed 90 minutes on his debut.

But the Cumbrians are now six points adrift of the survival line as Gary Caldwell's Grecians moved out of the bottom four.

United had the better chances of the first half but twice prevented Exeter from pouncing on chances when, on 57 minutes, Cole was first to a breaking ball and then, 20 minutes later, Cox turned in the rebound after Jack Aitchison had hit the post.

The result makes Carlisle's survival job harder again with 20 games to go, after a week when three new signings joined the bid to keep United in League One.

Simpson handed Armstrong and Neal immediate debuts after their moves to the Blues were confirmed this week.

Harrison Neal (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Corey Whelan also came into the side in defence, with Ben Barclay and Owen Moxon sidelined and Joe Garner dropping to the bench.

A third new signing, Seán Grehan, was not included in the 18 for United's first away game of 2024 although he travelled with the squad.

Exeter boss Caldwell also made three changes, with new signing Luke Harris making his debut with Pierce Sweeney and Cox also coming into the XI.

A lively opening to the game saw Sean Maguire almost pick out Taylor Charters in the first minute for Carlisle before Exeter came close to an immediate opener, Harris and Aitchison denied by last-ditch blocks from Whelan and Sam Lavelle.

Josh Emmanuel was denied with penalty appeals as he went down under Zak Jules' challenge, and Exeter's next burst of pressure saw debutant Harris turn and shoot wide from the edge of the box.

Harris was then booked in an eventful start for a late challenge on Maguire before good work from Armstrong helped win a Carlisle free-kick, but Jordan Gibson's delivery was cleared.

Armstrong looked to test Sweeney with his aerial presence and persistence while Neal, in midfield, aimed to break up some Exeter attacks.

Jack Robinson almost set up Luke Armstrong in the second half (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Gabe Breeze, on his fourth start in goal, was alert to deny Aitchison when the Exeter forward broke behind the defence, before Gibson shot over from distance and then Maguire jinked in from the left, as Carlisle intercepted some Exeter play from the back, but home keeper Vil Sinisalo thwarted United.

The tricky Dion Rankine put Carlisle under further pressure when speeding past Jon Mellish but a solid Breeze block cut out his attempted cross.

Next, a crucial Lavelle interception denied Harris as Exeter dominated the ball, United struggling to gain a foothold in possession.

Gradually, though, Exeter's first-half threat faded and United fashioned a great chance later in the half when they intercepted the hosts and Gibson sent Emmanuel in to the right.

But Jules got back to deny him with a sliding block as the wing-back shot and then, in first half added time, Cox was denied by a combination of Whelan and Lavelle as Exeter looked to pounce on some indecision.

There were then openings early in the second half as, first, Robinson's cross went just out of Armstrong's reach, before Exeter came close when Breeze parried an Aitchison shot and then just managed to touch the ball out of Cox's path as Carlisle scrambled to clear.

And the home side then cut through for the opener, when Harris found space behind United's defence to pick out Aitchison and when the latter's cross was half-cleared, Cole got there first to slam it low past Breeze.

In response, Gibson shot wide when found by Neal's floated pass, and Simpson then made a triple change - Butterworth, Alfie McCalmont and Jack Armer replacing Gibson, Maguire and Robinson.

Breeze pushed Cole's 30-yard attempt wide as Exeter looked for another, before Simpson introduced Garner for the closing stages in place of Charters.

But the Grecians then doubled their lead when Aitchison found room to shoot and when his low attempt came back off the post, Cox was there to poach from close range.

Jon Mellish grabs the ball after Dan Butterworth's consolation strike (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Breeze denied Sweeney and Alex Hartridge a third as Carlisle's hopes looked to be fizzling out, but Armstrong hit the post from a Butterworth cross as the Blues tried to find a late way back.

And then they did cut the deficit when a corner broke to Butterworth and the sub, outside the box, rifled his first Blues goal low past Sinisalo.

The scorer was then denied when another dribble ended with a shot saved by the home keeper.

Nine added minutes gave United further opportunity to fight back but Mellish, pushed forward, saw a cross cut out by Wildschut and the offside flag denied Butterworth a further chance as Carlisle slipped to defeat.

Exeter: Sinisalo, Jules (Niskanen 74), Hartridge, Sweeney, Diabate, Cole, Rankine (Scott 88), Carroll (Wildschut 78), Harris, Cox (Taylor 78), Aitchison. Not used: MacDonald, Borges.

Goals: Cole 57, Cox 77.

Booked: Harris, Jules, Wildschut.

United: Breeze, Whelan, Mellish, Lavelle, Emmanuel (McGeouch 85), Robinson (Armer 62), Neal, Charters (Garner 74), Gibson (McCalmont 62), Maguire (Butterworth 62), Armstrong. Not used: Holy, Edmondson.

Goal: Butterworth 86.

Booked: Neal.

Ref: Carl Brook.

Crowd: 6,420 (294 United fans).