Carlisle United 0-2 Wigan Athletic: Jon Colman's verdict

And then, on came Callum Guy: 11 months and four days since his knee buckled on Leyton Orient’s pitch, and he was plunged into the particular sort of pain that only an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury can inflict.

Welcome back, Callum. You’ve been missed. There were only 1,117 fans here to see his comeback – the ongoing joys of the used car cup – but the noise they made as he trotted onto the Brunton Park grass was worth that of many more, and entirely fitting.

Let this be the first step on a confident road back. Carlisle were never as competitive, never as secure, once Guy was sidelined last season. His return to league combat might need a little while longer but just seeing a player of his known midfield attributes and influence back in a blue shirt lifted the spirit last night.

For United, bigger engagements than this Trophy defeat await. Yet for Guy, this was as big as it has got for most of the past year – a tribute to his diligent work, and how he has been supported, through the long ordeal of an ACL.

Taylor Charters, making his first appearance of the season after a hamstring absence, joined Guy back on the pitch at that time - another positive sight. Considering the depth of Carlisle’s injury list, these bulletins ought to form our headlines, not the outcome: a fairly predictable loss for a Blues side stocked with teenagers, an exacting if, on some level, worthwhile learning experience for many of them against a Wigan side who were much more rounded, more confident and, in certain places, much more experienced in their game, which was also too much for the semi-older heads in the United ranks too.

Gabe Breeze makes a save (Image: Ben Holmes)

Carlisle will not progress from the Trophy’s group stage and, in all truth, were never likely to, given the changes Mike Williamson felt it necessary to make. Protecting the injury-ravaged senior ranks was the priority and the consequence of that was accepted in terms of the imbalance of last night’s play, not that those at the older end of things particularly stepped up in terms of quality.

Such are United’s problems in terms of bruised bodies it was a slight surprise that players didn’t jog out for their warm-up encased in bubble-wrap. Nothing felt more important than the squad getting from beginning to end without another muscle twang or tear dropping onto Williamson’s worry list. He submitted a much-changed teamsheet where the XI was shot through with youth and with the extremely happy sights of Guy and Charters’ names among the subs.

From the start, 16-year-old defender Hayden Atkinson got a debut, there were first starts for Freddie O’Donoghue and Anton Dudik, and nine changes overall, Jon Mellish and Harrison Neal the only survivors from Saturday’s league XI.

Wigan made ten switches of their own, yet things were challenging from a very early stage for this green United side. Scott Smith almost gave them a second-minute opener and then Josh Stones did, from the penalty spot.

It came minutes after Atkinson, with a firm tackle, had denied Stones, but next the youngster, trying to see the ball behind, was robbed in front of the byline, and was then penalised for his challenge on Stones, who duly rifled in the penalty.

A harsh lesson indeed, and there was little let-up as Carlisle, in their attempts to play from the back, work their short goal-kicks and link some moves, struggled to get very far at all before Wigan either intercepted or drove onto raw or uncertain passes.

Jack Ellis, with a timely challenge, denied the raiding Michael Olakigbe, and then a fingertip save from Gabe Breeze thwarted Stones. Wigan then drove onto another opportunity, Toby Sibbick’s pass finding a gaping space but Breeze again defiant when K’Marni Miller was clean through to shoot.

Jack Robinson closes down his man (Image: Ben Holmes)

United, though, could not bolt the door a further time, for the next move saw a ball into O’Donoghue intercepted, before Olakigbe was released to the left of goal, and his finish rattled in off the post.

It did not flatter Wigan, who were too ruthless, too sharp, for this makeshift Blues XI. In response, Ellis failed to match a promising run with an accurate cross, and Mellish tried to put some impetus into United’s forward movement, but not enough was finding the tricky feet of Dominic Sadi, or fed the work of Dudik up front.

Carlisle did put together s brief passage of better play in the Wigan half later in the first 45, Neal finding Dudik and the Ukrainian controlling well before his shot was blocked. Yet a sweeping Wigan attack immediately reminded us of their extra quality as Breeze, again, saved from Stones.

Quite the cold examination it was proving. At least Breeze was standing up well to the workout. After the break, Atkinson showed good timing to intercept the dangerous Stones, and Wigan's threat lessened, but there remained nothing to speak of by way of Carlisle chances, even as some of their younger players showed signs of growing more hardened in their later battles.

Yet from there, the brighter happenings emerged. Guy made his appearance, followed by Charters and Aran Fitzpatrick, while another familiar name, that of Asamoah (Wigan's Maleace, son of Derek) was also back on the Brunton turf.

Dan Hopper, on his debut, takes on Maleace Asamoah (Image: Ben Holmes)

And then, another special story: Dan Hopper, whose late dad gave this club and the Cumbrian game so much, came on for his first-team debut, on the eve of the sixth anniversary of his father’s passing. Just imagine that family’s pride, and that of Seb Mason’s family too, as a further teenager was sent on for his senior bow.

It’s never that the football, the actual score, is less than important. But some things do, at times, mean more. So it was at Brunton Park last night.