Greg Abbott took his unchanged and unbeaten United side to face a confident Huddersfield Town who, themselves, had rattled up two wins out of two from the start to their League season.
Huddersfield, as expected, came out of the blocks quickly with a break down the right, leading to a cross that Aranalde had to stretch to get to. His clearance dropped nicely for Young, who clipped it back towards the waiting strike force. Beckett was first to react, but his header was weak and it bounced harmlessly wide.
The Cumbrians were unruffled by the high tempo employed by the Terriers and took the sting out of the play with some good, controlled possession football. Bridge-Wilkinson was unlucky not to break clear as Thirlwell and Raven swapped passes before prodding a teasing ball in to the empty channel. It was a good idea, but it had just too much on it and the midfielder was left frustrated.
Superb football in the 8th minute, with three red shirts exchanging one touch passes, left Garner with options just outside the area. He spotted Gall spinning out to the right, and there were appeals for a penalty as the forward thinking United man saw his ball across rebound off the hand of defender Joe Skarz.
Kamara demonstrated just how dangerous he can be in the 11th minute when he latched on to a loose ball in his own half and raced towards the Carlisle goal. Leaving everyone in his wake, it took a sprint from Jeff Smith to make sure that cover was provided, as he slid in and eased the pressure. The throw in came to Kamara once more, and he found Brandon, who went for the early shot. Arnison put himself in the way, allowing Westwood to gather it comfortably on his line.
Aranalde was disappointed with himself in the 13th minute when he started a move, with a dangerous cross, that eventually brought the ball back to his feet. He chose to shoot early, but couldn't keep it down and he had to watch it as it sailed majestically away.
Bridge-Wilkinson used the ball intelligently in the next foray forward as he stroked a short pass in to the path of Gall. He tried a shot across the face of the box, but it was always rising and never troubled Glennon.
Carlisle were using the ball well, without quite managing to make that clear cut chance, typified in the 22nd minute when Graham flicked a high ball on for Thirlwell to chase. He got there with time to spare, but his shot was weak and easy for Glennon.
Garner was then robbed in midfield allowing Kamara to break, in a rare move in to the United half, and his cross was just too high for Worthington, who could only glance it wide of his intended target.
Danny Graham was robbed of his 3rd goal of the season when he rounded Glennon in the 24th minute and slotted in to the net, only to look round and see that the assistant had raised his flag as soon as the ball through from Garner had been played.
The Terriers tried to get themselves back in to it in the 32nd minute when Collins wrapped his foot around a cross in to the box. It dipped towards the bar, and Westwood had to make sure by tipping it away for a corner. Brandon got hold of that one, and spun sweetly to create himself some space. With the goal now beckoning, he crashed a low shot beyond Westwood, but he could only find the side netting.
The Cumbrians took the game by the scruff of the neck in the 33rd minute with the influential Marc Bridge-Wilkinson pulling the strings. He cut a ball wide for Gall, and his pace took him clear, allowing the early shot. Glennon was slightly out of position, but he did enough to get it behind for the corner.
United weren't done, though, and sustained pressure from the set piece kept Huddersfield at sixes and sevens as a poor clearance ran kindly for Bridge-Wilkinson. He got his head over the shot, arrowing it through the bodies towards the bottom corner. It cannoned back off the post, and Danny Graham then swung his foot at it, onlty to find Glennon in the way. Danny Livesey moved first for the loose ball, and he was able to poke it in to the net to give his side a deserved lead with his 10th goal for the club.
The Yorkshire outfit were rattled and they almost sold themselves short in the 36th minute when Holdsworth and Clarke made a real mess of a back pass. Glennon had to rush out, and his intervention brought a deflection off the lively Danny Graham that sent it for a goal kick.
Kamara should have done better at the other end in the 42nd minute when Beckett flicked a deep free kick in to the danger area. He caught it nicely, but couldn't direct it beyond Westwood, who plucked it out of the air in style.
Bridge-Wilkinson was involved in everything as Carlisle dominated the first half, and he surprised everyone with the pass of the game in the 44th minute when he found Graham in the box. The on-form forward spun and pulled a great save out of Glennon, who had covered the move.
United extended their lead with a well worked corner just before half time as Bridge-Wilkinson flung the ball in to the near post. Joe Garner had jinked his way away from his marker, creating a yard of space, and he was able to guide his free header in to the roof of the net to claim his first goal of the season.
Half Time: Huddersfield 0 - 2 United
Huddersfield had the early chance to pile on the pressure at the start of the second half, but United defended well as a high free kick was lifted in to the box.
Jeff Smith reacted quickly when his side were given a free kick in the 49th minute, spotting Bridge-Wilkinson out on the touchline. The long pass was perfect, and the Cumbrian midfielder cut inside, dropped his shoulder and unleashed a dipping left foot shot. Glennon had to get down quickly, tipping it away with his fingers as it threatened to sneak in via the post.
Luke Beckett sent a hurried volley in to the crowd in the 55th minute as the Terriers started to probe, but it was all still very comfortable as Raven and Livesey mopped up everything that came in to their defensive zone.
The home side were seeing more of the ball, but they couldn't find a strike on target with Young and Kamara rifling shots wide within the space of 60 seconds of each other in the opening 15 minutes of the half. Kamara floated a cross in to the box in the 61st minute and unusual hesitancy from the back line left Beckett with a sight of the target. He swung his foot at it, but couldn't get a connection, and Westwood came out to lift the ball out of harms way.
Luke Beckett somehow missed what was an easy chance by his standards when he popped a cross from the right over the bar with a very poor header as they came forward again. As consolation for him, there was an offside flag involved, and the goal would not have stood anyway.
Garner nearly made it all academic in the 66th minute when he got the slightest of touches to a Bridge-Wilkinson free kick that had left Glennon on his heels. There was relief all round for the Terriers as it nestled in the side netting.
Abbott brought Lumsdon on for Graham with 20 minutes left to go, pushing Gall up front with Garner and switching to a solid 4-4-2 formation as he looked to stem the flow through the midfield area.
Kamara was still the main threat, but he had clearly left his shooting boots at home as he blazed yet another poor effort high over the bar in the 73rd minute as he tried to force the issue.
Lumsdon did well in the 75th minute, helping to alleviate the pressure, as he carried the ball forward. He had options, and he picked out Bridge-Wilkinson, who smashed a powerful shot at Glennon as Skarz came in with a challenge.
The pace of the game dropped markedly in the last 15 minutes as the home side struggled to make anything happen, with Carlisle content to concentrate and defend as a team.
It was very comfortable for Abbott's men as the home side ran out of ideas, though Booth spurned a real chance in time added on when he caught a Clarke cross all wrong, and put it back across the face of goal instead of forcing it in to the waiting net.
Goals
United - Livesey (34), Garner (44)
Huddersfield - Glennon, Holdsworth, Skarz, Collins, Nathan Clarke, Brandon, Worthington, Kamara, Young (Booth 71), Beckett, Hardy (Akins 84). Subs - Tom Clarke, Berrett, Eastwood.
United - Westwood, Arnison, Raven, Livesey, Aranalde, Gall, Bridge-Wilkinson, Thirlwell, Smith, Garner (Carlton 88), Graham (Lumsdon 68). Subs - Howarth, Brittain, Hackney.
Away fans - 1181
