Derek Holmes made a return to the starting line up in this First Round LDV fixture against Oldham, his first start since the Bristol Rovers game, as midfielder Adam Murray was ruled out with a troublesome foot injury.
The remainder of the starting eleven stayed the same as last Saturday as Simpson looked to gel his side ahead of some tough League fixtures.
A Lumsdon challenge in the 3rd minute brought an opportunity for the Latics to deliver a decent cross and old father time, David Eyres, didn't disappoint with a great cross. Hughes got up well but his header was directed right in to the hands of Keiren Westwood.
United used the presence of Holmes to good effect in the 4th minute when he was able to cushion a header in to the path of Lumsdon. He had the option to move on himself but he waited for the run of Hackney, slipping the young winger in on the left. With the goal in his sights he crashed a sharp shot towards the top corner and was unlucky to see it whistle just wide.
The 5th minute brought a 6th goal of the season for Karl Hawley when he raced on to a long, deceptive clearance from Nade. Branston completely misjudged the flight of the ball allowing the United striker to run away with it, drawing Chris Day from his line. Keeping his cool the Carlisle top scorer picked his spot, drilling it low across the face of goal and in to the bottom corner.
The Hackney outlet down the left, with the Holmes option down the middle, had Oldham pulled this way and that in the early exchanges and United were able to break with confidence, looking comfortable on the ball.
A great run and cross in the 7th minute from the wide man was flicked off Nade's head just as he shaped to power his header goalwards.
The home side were under some pressure and their night almost got worse on 15 minutes when Hawley battled his way to winning a corner. Lumsdon swung it in and Kev Gray, largely unchallenged, was first to it but he couldn't rise high enough to keep it down.
The Latics needed something to lift them and the guile of Eyres opened a way through to a cross towards the back post. Warne knocked it back in to the mix but Liddell will feel he should have done better as he clattered it too close to Westwood, bringing an impressive diving save.
In an entertaining match it was the Cumbrians who would go close once more in the 19th minute when Murphy spotted Aranalde making an intelligent run from a free kick. The left back placed a neat header across goal and was even neater when it came back to him, forcing Day to concede a corner as he went for the near post.
The Oldham chances were all dropping to Andy Liddell and he got more shin than foot on a wicked cross from Warne as Billy lost possession in midfield in the 23rd minute. The pigeons were sent reeling as the ball came dangerously close to breaking through the ozone layer.
Liddell will be more pleased with his effort on 27 minutes when Holmes gave away a free kick just inside his own half. Eyres delivered it, again finding the spot, and Liddell sent a bullet header towards the goal. Westwood somehow managed to get to it, having seen it late, and scoop it over the bar.
A much better spell for the home side should definitely have brought an equaliser 60 seconds later when Warne broke away down the right. He found Liddell in the area who, in turn, found Beckett, but neither of them seemed to want to take the responsibility. Beharall was able swipe it for a corner, much to the relief of the United fans.
It's amazing what a few goals does for a striker and those who saw the moment of skill produced by Hawley in the 32nd minute here tonight will know just how good this player can be. He took a very difficult pass in his midriff and controlled it whilst, at the same time, leaving his marker rooted to the spot. 22 yards from goal and with Paul Simpson's instructions to shoot on sight ringing in his ears he missed by a matter of inches with a real rasper of a drive.
A United corner turned in to an Oldham attack in the 40th minute as Wellens was released by Day with space in front of him. Perhaps slightly too slow in their movement it eventually came to Beckett who put a poor header down Westwood's throat.
It was good stuff from Carlisle and exactly what the management team had asked for.
Half Time: Oldham 0 - 1 United
Oldham started the second half off with a decent half chance when a long Day kick was cleared out by Beharall. Liddell controlled it well but he was smothered as he aimed for the nets.
At the other end the Cumbrians held the ball in the 50th minute, staying patient as they waited for the optimum moment to put the ball in. Aranalde floated it in and Holmes did enough to put the defenders off. Nade picked up the loose ball and, stranded on his own, turned his marker inside out. Also delivering a superb low cross in to the bargain the ball somehow squirmed past the outstretched leg of Hawley.
In the very next attack Nade showed a quick heel as he beat Day to a high bouncing through ball but he got just too much on his flick and had to watch it drift out of play with the goal at his mercy.
Eyres tried to place a 25 yard free kick in the 54th minute but the wall got enough of a deflection on it to send it out safely for a corner.
The pressure started to build on United for the first time in the game and Liddell thought he'd notched one for his side from a 20 yard free kick in the 57th minute. The wall made like the Red Sea and parted as the shot came through and Westwood could only stand himself in the way, grateful to Kev Gray for being on hand to clean up the pieces.
An amazing passage of play in the 67th minute left everyone looking at each other in confusion as everyone but the Assistant Referee thought that Oldham had equalised. A wicked corner was met by a punch from Westwood and it screwed high up in to the air on its way to falling back down towards the goal line. Gray got to it but it did appear to have crossed the line, with most of the home crowd on their feet in celebration. Play was waved on, though, with the Oldham players asking why.
United were going through a period of having to hang on and were sitting deeper, sucking the Latics towards them. A weak header from Murphy fell nicely for Wellens who was able to find Beckett in space. The shot, when it came, was nothing short of woeful.
Kevin Gray picked up what looked to be a bad injury in the 75th minute and it would prove to be an unsettling moment slightly later in the game. Oldham were having much the better of the play and the ball somehow ended up in Westwood's hands from a corner as it ricocheted via the post, then Chris Billy, and on in to the big keeper's hands.
As the 78th minute approached it was to be an awful moment for new arrival Simon Grand, who hadn't featured since August, as he stumbled just as Wellens forced his way in to the 18 yard box. With nowhere to go he crashed in to the falling Carlisle defender and earned his side a cast iron penalty. Andy Liddell made no mistake as he stroked it beyond Westwood and pulled the scores level.
Substitute Chris Hall gave United something else to think about and he was involved twice in two minutes as the last five minutes approached. His first opportunity came from a corner that eventually popped out to him but he scuffed it and blasted it beyond the post. As they came forward again the evergreen Eyres spotted his good run and Westwood had to be alert to snatch it from beneath the bar.
Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession in the second half the home side were almost undone with two minutes to go when Glenn Murray made his way to the bye line. A poked cross came to Nade but he couldn't control it and hoofed his shot in to the back row of the watching crowd.
Full Time: Oldham 1 - 1 United
The frantic pace of the second period didn't quite catch on at the start of extra time and defences were on top as both sides probed.
A poor refereeing decision in the 97th minute handed Oldham a corner when Chris Hall had clearly put his header behind and it took some smart defending Glenn Murray to make sure it came to nothing.
Carlisle replied with their own quick attack when Murphy found Lumsdon wanting the ball. McClen moved in to space himself on the right and spotted Murray at the back post. The United sub rose well but glanced his header agonisingly wide.
How Carlisle didn't score in the 101st minute is probably down to the laws of physics as a Lumsdon free kick spun towards the goal line. Twisting nicely and popping about it left Day with a big grin on his face as it came towards him.
It was better from Carlisle after soaking up the Oldham second half onslaught and Simon Grand nearly got his name on the score sheet when he leaped for a Lumsdon corner. Day was on hand to pluck it from beneath the bar.
It was much more even in to the last period of the game with Lumsdon and McClen looking busy but neither side was able to find that killer moment as they both looked happy to try their luck in the shoot out.
Penalties
Oldham (second) - Liddell (1-1), Warne (2-2), Eyres (3-3), Danny Hall (4-4), Porter (5-5), Hughes (6-5)
United (first) - Lumsdon (1-0), Hawley (2-1), Murphy (3-2), Grand (4-3), Aranalde (5-4), McClen (6-5)
A superb set of penalties from both sets of players saw United eventually win through 6-5 with a great save from Keiren Westwood when up against Mark Hughes.
Simmo will be pleased with this. Not only did his side control the first half but they battled for the right to stay in the game in the second and came through very comfortable in extra time. The cool heads and calm control shown in the shoot out is bound to stand the lads in good stead and this is a game they can all walk away from feeling very good about it all.
Goals
Oldham - Liddell (78 pen)
United - Hawley (5)
Bookings
Oldham - Day (61)
United - Billy (66), McClen (117)
Teams
Oldham - Day, Forbes (Tierney 72), Scott, Wellens (Porter 119), Liddell, Beckett (Chris Hall 72), Warne, Danny Hall, Hughes, Branston, Eyres. Not Used - Taylor, Smith.
United - Westwood, Beharall, Gray (Grand 75), Murphy, Aranalde, Nade, Billy, Lumsdon, Hackney (McClen 88), Holmes (G Murray 79), Hawley. Not Used - Williams, Arnison.
United fans - 216
