Peter Murphy made a return to the starting line up for this one, for the first time since the Lincoln away game, to replace the injured Raphael Nade whilst Simon Grand took a place on the bench.

The natural left sided width provided by Murphy, making his 155th start in a blue shirt, was hoped to bring more balance than had been seen in the disjointed display at the weekend.

The game started with an early threat from Chester striker Gregg Blundell as he got on the end of a Davies cross but he couldn't get enough on it to test Williams in the United nets.

It was a decent opening for the home side as they tried to force an early goal and a string of corners had the defence stretched at times.  Ryan Lowe tried his luck from 20 yards in the 6th minute when he found himself with plenty of space but Kev Gray managed to get the block on it to keep it out.

Chester were playing well and were getting forward in numbers, supporting the strikers as they pushed United back, and they got the reward the enterprising start deserved with a precise corner from Davies in the 11th minute.  Branch, 12 yards out, powered it towards goal with his head and Williams appeared to have saved it, only for the ball to drop invitingly in the 6 yard box.  Artell was first to react and he bundled it over the line to start the celebrations.

Michael Branch made sure that things didn't ease off from the home team as he picked up a loose ball out on the right in the 20th minute.  Arnison was on hand to marshall him but the tricky forward jinked, feinted and drove his shot low, bringing Williams in to play once more.

With the early Chester storm subsiding the Cumbrians started to get back in to the game more, particularly with Brendan McGill on the right.  McNiven foiled a stinging drive that was bottom corner bound in the 23rd minute and the same player received plenty of pats on the back 60 seconds later as he again jumped in front of a great United move.

McGill first found Murray, who cleverly dinked the ball through for Hawley, and he was flattened just as he wound up to shoot.  Ever alert, and having continued his run, McGill set himself to pounce once more but his shadow stood strong, sending it out to safety for a throw in.

Karl Hawley thought he'd been handed a gift in the 33rd minute when a long ball somehow found its way to him on the edge of the box.  He turned Dimech with quick feet, but his defender somehow managed to get back as the telling moment approached.

Peter Murphy showed some great skill shortly after when he turned quickly as he received a Murray pass, and he opted for an early shot, curling a stinging drive a foot wide of the right hand upright with Mackenzie beaten.

The short spell of dominance was brought to an abrupt end in the 40th minute by a costly mistake from left back Zigor Aranalde.  He misplaced his first touch, and then his pass, allowing Walker to latch on to the ball and leave him for dead.  With plenty of players around him to choose from Walker slipped a pass in behind Livesey allowing Blundell to crash a volley beyond Williams and in to the apex of the net.

It was a real sucker punch that took the sting out of the good work United had started to produce and the half time whistle was welcomed, with hopes of an early goal to come after the break.

Half Time:  Chester 2 - 0 United

Carlisle knew they had to do more and Simpson made an attacking switch bringing Glenn Murray on for Lumsdon to line up in a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation.

Williams brought a moment of panic to those around him in the 48th minute when he came to claim a Davies free kick, losing sight of the flight of the ball.  It ricocheted off his left arm but, fortunately, fell to safety.

United created a good opportunity in the 51st minute when McGill and Arnison combined on the right for the latter to pick a dangerous cross.  It bounced awkwardly and Glenn Murray, with the goal before him, couldn't get it under control and he blazed his shot well off target in the end.

A moment of indecision in the 55th minute from Kev Gray was nearly costly when the ball bounced over his head and slowed down, inviting Blundell to run on.  One on one with Williams the keeper spread himself, batting the ball away with his legs.

The game was swinging end to end and Aranalde found the ball stuck under his foot at the back post with the defence all at sea.  McNiven was able to stab it away off the line with red shirts lurking and it was straight up the other end, where Danny Livesey had to get his header spot on to keep it away from the goal.

Dead ball specialist Ben Davies rattled the top of the bar with Williams beaten, after Arnison had gone in the book for a rash challenge on 60 minutes, and Artell was also proving to be a handful from set pieces. 

United were close to handing another goal to Chester in the 68th minute when Aranalde kept a looping ball in on the touch line, when he could have let it go.  Lowe was able to collect it and crossed early, forcing a hurried clearance off the knee of Arnison.

The game was in danger of slipping away from Carlisle as the pace was taken out of it by Keith Curle's confident side but Chris Billy did have Mackenzie scrambling in the 73rd minute with a 25 yarder that threatened to swing in to the net.

Drummond connected with yet another fantastic corner in the 75th minute and Williams had to parry it away, seeing it very late as it whipped through a gaggle of bodies.  Paul Arnison jumped in to hack it clear with everyone else standing static.

Adam Murray was next to try to breath some life in to United's bid to get something from the game but his header from an Arnison cross dipped too late as far as the watching United fans were concerned.

It was another of those periods when the visitors needed to turn their pressure in to a goal and the best chance of a forward thinking spell fell to Glenn Murray in the 84th minute.  A superb move, started in midfield, ended with the Cumbrians substitute being released in to the 18 yard box with just the keeper the beat.  Instead of steadying himself he went for glory and skied it badly, to the accompanying jeers of the home crowd.

The final throw of the dice from Carlisle was an Adam Murray corner that was creeping directly in to the goal at the near post, but Mackenzie put enough of his hand on it to force it away.

The defensive mistake that led to the second goal was the killer blow in this entertaining game as it left Carlisle with a mountain to climb against a very competent attacking side.  There was plenty of possession for United after they had gone behind but the damage was done, and it was always going to be a difficult task to turn it around.  It was encouraging stuff, at times, but that is overshadowed by the second defeat in just a few days, and a defeat that could probably have been avoided.  There were plenty of positives to take from this one though, and they must be taken in to the match against Bristol Rovers at the weekend to make sure that the buoyant start to the season is to continue.

Goals

Chester - Artell (11), Blundell (40)

Bookings

Chester - Lowe (31)

United - Arnison (60)

Teams

Chester - Mackenzie, Lowe (El-Kholti 78), Artell, Walker (Curtis 85), Davies, Dimech, Drummond, McNiven, Blundell, Regan, Branch (Richardson 85).  Not Used - Vaughan, Bertos.

United - Williams, Arnison, Gray, Livesey, Aranalde, McGill, Billy, Lumsdon (G Murray 45), A Murray, Murphy, Hawley.  Not Used - Westwood, Beharall, Grand, McClen.