Rangers B 1 Carlisle United 1: Taylor Charters’ penalty earned Carlisle United a draw as a host of senior players looked to catch Paul Simpson’s eye in a friendly north of the border.

Charters put the Blues ahead from the spot in the 66th minute at Rangers’ training centre.

But Carlisle’s lead was cancelled out by Gers sub Thompson Ishaka five minutes later.

United came close to winning it in a brighter second half display but had to settle for a draw against a Rangers side that mixed youth and experience.

United named an XI entirely made up of first-team squad players after Paul Simpson, who was watching the game from the stand at Milngavie, said a number of places in the side were up for grabs in light of the Blues’ dire League One form.

Experienced defender Paul Huntington started with Gabe Breeze, Fin Back, Jack Robinson, Alfie McCalmont, Sean Grehan, Dan Butterworth, Dylan McGeouch, Jayden Harris, Charters and Anton Dudik all in the XI.

David McCallum’s Rangers’ side included Leon Balogun and Barrow-born defender Ben Davies among the older heads on show among a number of younger prospects.

Carlisle lined up in a 4-3-3 system at Milngavie, with Back, Huntington, Grehan and Robinson in defence behind a midfield three of Harris, McGeouch and McCalmont, and Charters and Butterworth either side of Dudik as the central striker.

Assistant manager Gavin Skelton, first-team coach Billy Barr and under-18s manager Mark Birch were overseeing things in the dugout with manager Simpson also there to watch.

United forced the first opportunity in the second minute when McCalmont’s cross had keeper Robby McCrory backpedalling and, from the resulting corner, McGeouch arrived at the edge of the box to have a powerful shot blocked.

Robinson then came close to feeding Dudik as Davies got across to deny the Ukrainian and later Charters saw an effort blocked.

At the other end, Breeze was off his line to punch away a testing cross while Carlisle survived another Rangers raid when Zak Lovelace robbed Huntington as the defender brought the ball forward.

Lovelace’s trickery was a threat for the hosts and Back had to be alert to cut out a through-ball after Robbie Fraser skipped away from Harris.

Carlisle then went close on 17 minutes when they won the ball on the right and Back flashed a cross into the box which saw Dudik in front of Davies but the striker’s first-team effort flashing just wide.

Rangers then almost took the lead when Bailey Rice rifled narrowly past the post from 20 yards, while Breeze was solidly behind a Raskin shot after the home midfielder emerged from a challenge.

The hosts applied further pressure when a Raskin cross tested Breeze, and then Lovelace found James Graham in a good position at the far post but the former Annan Athletic loanee failed to finish.

Former Celtic man McGeouch was frustrated after being penalised for challenges in quick succession, and then Rice saw a deflected shot held low down by Breeze.

Huntington then had to be sharp to prevent a Lovelace cross picking out a team-mate in front of goal, Graham then seeing a shot deflect wide, with Carlisle now struggling to create chances at the other end.

A free-kick in the 42nd minute saw Rice draw a diving save from Breeze, the game reaching half-time goalless.

The home side made a double change at the break, Thompson Ishaka and Connor Allan replacing Lovelace and Davies.

And United almost immediately went in front when Harris and Robinson linked and the latter cut into the box but saw McCrorie parry his shot.

Harris and Dudik then combined as the forward saw an effort blocked from the edge of the area, while Rice then needed treatment for several minutes after taking a McCalmont clearance full in the face, the midfielder then having to be substituted.

Grehan, in United’s defence, cut out a cross that was bound for sub Ishaka, before Butterworth’s run set up a half-chance which Dudik swept wide at the second attempt.

Youth team prospect Aran Fitzpatrick replaced Robinson, who was on a booking, at left-back just after the hour mark for Carlisle – and soon after the Blues took the lead.

Harris was the architect as he drove away from opponents and into the box, and was upended by Fraser’s sliding challenge.

Charters stepped up and his low penalty into the bottom right corner was too good for McCrorie despite the home keeper going the right way.

United looked for a second with Butterworth seeing an effort saved and it had been an improved Carlisle showing so far in the second half, with Butterworth, Harris and Charters often making inroads into the final third.

But the home side quickly hit back as Josh Gentles received the ball before threading Ishaka through the Blues defence, the sub finishing confidently past Breeze into the bottom left corner.

Butterworth miscued another attempt after more United pressure, then a counter-attack saw Harris tackled in the box as he tried to convert Charters’ pass.

Carlisle were brighter again and a fine McCrorie save denied Butterworth from outside the box, with Rangers now struggling to threaten save a cross from the overlapping Leon King which was plucked out of the air by Breeze.

Charters had an attempt blocked after combining with Dudik and Butterworth, and then, in the last minute, Dudik broke away from a defender and drew a save from McCrorie, with Harris screaming for a pass to his left.

The proved the last serious chance, with most of United’s first XI completing the full 90 minutes in front of the watching Simpson, five days ahead of the next League One game at Bristol Rovers.

Rangers B: McCrorie, King, Fraser, Davies (Allan 46), Balogun (Grant 66), Rice (Strachan 56), Lovelace (Ishaka 46), Raskin, Gentles (Eadie 76), McKinnon, Graham. Not used: Munn, Stevens.

Goal: Ishaka 71.

United: Breeze, Back, Robinson (Fitzpatrick 62), McCalmont, Huntington, Grehan, Butterworth, McGeouch, Dudik, Harris, Charters. Not used: Barry, O’Brien, Hetherington, Swinburn, J Allan.

Goal: Charters 66pen.