Carlisle Utd 3 Exeter 3 - full-time report

Exeter drew first blood when Joel Grant headed in, before Carlisle hit back with Jordan Moore-Taylor believed to be the man that put through his own net after a Nicky Adams cross.

The away team retook the lead before the break through Ryan Harley's deflected effort and David Wheeler put them 3-1 up after the restart.

But Keith Curle's men hit back with two goals in quick succession. The first a fluke from substitute John O'Sullivan and the second a header by Shaun Miller to leave the tie nicely poised ahead of the second leg.

Jamie Proctor was the first to force a save from Exeter keeper Bobby Olejnik on five minutes, but he had already been penalised for a foul.

On the 13th minute, Exeter produced a first clear-cut chance of the game. Ollie Watkins got on the end of a delightful Pierce Sweeney cross, only to miss the target.

The Grecians then took the lead with 15 minutes on the clock when Watkins crossed after a Sweeney throw and Grant headed past Carlisle keeper Mark Gillespie, despite the Blues stopper getting his hands on the effort.

United almost hit back just before the half hour mark as Luke Joyce found Reggie Lambe. He bent his strike narrowly wide of Bobby Olejnik's left-hand post, though.

Carlisle did draw level on the 32nd minute when an Adams cross deflected off an Exeter man and found its way into the bottom corner of the Grecians' net with Moore-Taylor believed to have got the final touch on the ball.

On 36 minutes, Adams' corner was cleared only as far as James Bailey, who drilled an effort from outside the box just wide as United looked to take the lead.

Exeter regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when a Harley shot deflected past Gillespie.

And the away side added a third goal soon after as Grant found Wheeler and he slotted home.

Carlisle captain Danny Grainger had the chance to reduce the arrears on 62 minutes, although his free-kick from a good area went over the crossbar.

Watkins thought he had scored a fourth, which potentially could have effectively ended the tie when he stroked home, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Carlisle pulled a goal back as an attempted cross from O'Sullivan found its way into the net via the post, 19 minutes from the end of the 90 during the first leg.

And, in a sensational two-minute spell, substitute Miller powered home an Adams cross to restore parity.

Substitute Reuben Reid forced a save from the Carlisle keeper with five minutes of normal time to play and Exeter had chances to take some kind of lead back to St James' Park for the second leg on Thursday night.

But the teams finished all square at the end of an incredible first 90 minutes of the tie, with another 90 still to play.

Bailey and Lambe were recalled by Carlisle boss Keith Curle for the play-off semi-final first leg - but Jabo Ibehre missed out.

Big striker Ibehre had failed to recover from the injury that saw him substituted against Exeter last weekend.

And Curle made a further change, as Macaulay Gillesphey dropped to the bench, with midfielder Bailey and winger Lambe both stepping up.

There was a boost for the United boss with the return of Jason Kennedy to the squad, the midfielder among Carlisle's subs.

Exeter boss Paul Tisdale made three changes - including in goal, where Olejnik replaced Christy Pym.

Striker Reid dropped to the bench, while Ethan Ampadu was not in the squad, as Craig Woodman and Grant came into the Grecians side.

In the other play-off semi-final first leg, Blackpool beat Luton 3-2 at home with Mark Cullen scoring a hat-trick.

United: Gillespie, T.Miller, Grainger, Raynes (S.Miller 60), Liddle, Joyce, Bailey (Waring 68), Devitt (O'Sullivan 55), Adams, Lambe, Proctor. Unused subs: Crocombe, Kennedy, Gillesphey, Nabi.

Exeter: Olejnik, Woodman (Reid 68), Sweeney, Brown, Moore-Taylor, James, Harley, Taylor, Watkins, Grant (Holmes 77), Wheeler (Stacey 77). Unused subs: Pym, Tillson, McAlinden, Croll.