CAMERON Harper's offside goal in the dying embers of the game summed up a positive but frustrating afternoon for Carlisle United as they played out a goalless draw with Doncaster Rovers.

The Blues thought they had won it at the death when Cameron Harper fired the ball into the back of the net from close range but the offside flag halted the Brunton Park celebrations.

Ben Barclay also saw his header from a late set piece saved by Teddy Sharman-Lowe for what surely would have been the winner.

Adu-Adjei also had great chances to open the scoring in the first half, with a chipped through ball just evading his outstretched foot before he blasted a gilt-edged chance over the bar.

Carlisle came into the game against Grant McCann's high-flying Doncaster Rovers buoyed by four points in their last two matches that were earned by a last-gasp winner against Salford City and a late equaliser against Bromley at Hayes Lane last time out. 

Off the back of these performances, Mike Williamson made only one enforced change to his Carlisle United side that recused a point against Bromley, with defender Aaron Hayden replacing Ben Barclay who was serving a one-match ban.

It was the Blues that had the first opportunity to open the scoring when Ben Williams chipped a ball into the path of Adu-Adjei in the Doncaster box but Rovers keeper Sharman-Lowe was able to smother the chance. 

Moments later, on the 10-minute mark, it was Carlisle that were forced to do some defending when Sharp bore down on Breeze's goal after being slipped through by a teammate. 

However, the combined efforts of Mellish and Lavelle snuffed out the danger and denied the veteran goal scorer the chance to break the deadlock.

As the game progressed, Carlisle put together a number of good-looking passing plays, however, were unable to find the killer pass to break down their visitors and looked vulnerable to the counter if their passing went astray. 

On the 24-minute mark, Carlisle had a huge chance to open the scoring after some exquisite play between Harper and Adu-Adjei, with the latter given a chance to strike on goal but his effort ballons over the top of the Doncaster goal.

On the half-an-hour mark, Sharman-Lowe was almost the author of his own pain as he was caught on the ball by an alert Adu-Adjei but the Rovers keeper got down quickly to get a palm on the Carlisle forward's strike towards an open goal which was collected by a Doncaster defender. 

Seven minutes later it was the visitors that had a chance when a low cross into the box found Luke Molyneux, only a handful of minutes after the Brunton Park faithful were asking for him to be sent off for a challenge on Adu-Adjei, but the Doncaster man's effort was blocked before it could reach Breeze's goal.

Despite the late flurry from the visitors it ended goalless as the first 45 came to a close with Carlisle, despite being the happier, perhaps rueing missed chances. 

The second half began in much the same vain that the first had ended with Doncaster growing into the contest and going close on a couple of occasions.

First, Jack Senior saw a low shot deflect just wide of the bottom corner before Patrick Kelly forced Breeze into an acrobatic stop with a long-range, curling effort. 

On the 62nd minute, it was another good chance for the visitors with Kyle Hurst curling an effort from the edge of the box just past the far post of an outstretched Breeze.

A minute later Adue-Adjei thought he was through one-on-one with Sharman-Lowe, however, Olowu chased back well to put the forward off and win the ball for the visitors.

With 20 minutes left of the clock Carlisle had their heart in their mouth after Ironside rounded the keeper and squared the ball for a tap-in but luckily for the Blues Mellish was in the right place to intercept and clear.

Five minutes later Carlisle thought they had taken the lead when Josh Vela managed to get on the end of a bouncing ball in the box and fire towards goal but his effort was deflected by a flying Doncaster defender.

Despite both managers ringing the changes in the final stages to try and spark the match into light, both sides seemed to lack the killer edge and traded advances in the final ten minutes.

Not even a returning Georgie Kelly, who was making his first appearance under Mike Williamson as a substitute, could find that killer edge.

However, in the dying moments of the game, Cameron Harper would slam the ball home from close range, an effort that looked to have secured the three points for Carlisle but the offside flag halted the celebrations.

Sam Lavelle's header from a set-piece after Jay McGrath was sent off, was also saved as Carlisle were forced to accept a point against Doncaster Rovers at Brunton Park.

CARLISLE UNITED: Gabe Breeze, Cameron Harper, Sam Lavelle, Aaron Hayden (Jack Ellis - 77'), Callum Guy (Dylan McGeouch - 85'), Dan Adu-Adjei, Ben Williams (Harrison Neal - 70'), Jon Mellish, Dominic Sadi, Tyler Burey (Georgie Kelly - 85'), Kadeem Harris (Josh Vela - 70')

UNUSED SUBS: Harry Lewis, Luke Armstrong

GOAL(S):

YELLOWS: Jon Mellish

DONCASTER ROVERS: Teddy Sharman-Lowe, Jamie Sterry (Joe Sbarra - 80') (Tom Anderson - 90+5'), James Maxwell (Tom Nixon - 68'), Joseph Olowu, Luke Molyneux, Billy Sharp (Joe Ironside - 68'), Owen Bailey, Kyle Hurst (Jordan Gibson - 68'), Patrick Kelly, Jack Senior, Jay McGrath

UNUSED SUBS: Ian Lawlor, Tom Anderson, George Broadbent

GOAL(S):

YELLOWS: James Maxwell, Luke Molyneux, Jay McGrath

RED CARD: Jay McGrath

REFEREE: James Oldham

ATTENDANCE: 6,837 (704 away)