In a feisty encounter in which both teams ended with ten men and which was played in, at times, torrential rain, Altrincham gave their ex-EFL opponents a hard-fought afternoon.

Alty were disappointed to fall behind as early as the ninth minute when Wearne's cross from the left was headed home, it seemed by Kelly, but it was later ruled that it was an own goal off Lewis Banks.

The Robins deservedly levelled, in the nineteenth minute, albeit from the penalty spot, after Banks had been fouled in an aerial duel by Kelly. Knowles converted the spot kick.

A belligerent Mark Hughes was deservedly booked soon afterwards, following a cynical foul on Reddin by Thomas which might have been a red for the offender but for which he was only shown a yellow.

Inevitably, the decisive goal had to be scored by former Altrincham striker Regan Linney who was allowed to drift towards the centre of the pitch from where he planted an impressive shot past Hutchinson (36 mins).

However, a celebrating Linney then indulged in some arrogant posing for the camera right in front of the Golf Road end which did nothing to enhance his reputation with his former supporters.

Although Altrincham had a man advantage from the 54th minute when the hapless left-back Harper picked up his second yellow for yet another foul on man of the match Reddin, they were unable to convert it into an equaliser.

With the game deep into an added seven minutes, Tom Crawford was shown a second yellow for a foul in the centre of the pitch.

SCORERS:

• 9 mins: Lewis BANKS (own goal) (ALTRINCHAM 0 Carlisle United 1)
• 19 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (penalty) (ALTRINCHAM 1 Carlisle United 1)
• 36 mins: Regan LINNEY (ALTRINCHAM 1 Carlisle United 2)

REFEREE: Mr Richie Watkins

ATTENDANCE: 3,332 (1,056 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

With Lewis Weaver suspended after his dismissal at Boreham Wood last time out, back into the squad came Keaton Ward.

From the starting eleven Baines moved to the bench and Barnes and Kirk were omitted in favour of Sassi and Crankshaw. Gale returned on the bench. ..

During the run up to this game, midfielder Owen German had returned from his loan at Alfreton Town. He watched the match from the directors' box.

For Carlisle, Kelly started in place of the ill Armstrong. Jones came in on the bench.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white pinstripes, black shorts and white socks): 30 Luke Hutchinson, 23. Tylor Golden, 2 Lewis Banks, 34. Dan Sassi, 3. Sam Reed 6. Elliot Osborne (c), 22. Tom Crawford, 8 Isaac Marriott, 7. Olly Crankshaw, 20 Kahrel Reddin, 11. Jimmy Knowles. Subs: 4. Lewis Baines, 5. Jake Cooper, 14. Matty Kosylo, 40. Charlie Kirk, 27 Louie Fallon, 10. Keaton Ward, 9. James Gale

CARLISLE UNITED (All blue; shirts included red and white stripes) 1. Gabe Breeze, 2. Archie Davies, 3. Cameron Harper, 4. Terell Thomas (c), 10. Regan Linney, 11. Junior Luamba, 16. Stephen Wearne 18. Jack Ellis, 20. Alex Gilliead, 26. Bevis Mugabi, 9. Georgie Kelly. Subs: 25. Harry Lewis (gk), 5. Morgan Feeney, 7. David Ajiboye, 8. Callum Whelan, 21. Jordan Jones, 24. Josh Grant, 37. Harvey Macadam.

This was the first ever league meeting between the sides and it followed the Cumbrians' relegation from EFL2 last season. United had spent a season in non-League in 2004-05 but at that time Altrincham were in the North division so the sides did not meet.

With ex-Alty man Regan Linney having already bagged eight goals, Carlisle sat third in the Enterprise National League at kick-off, whilst Altrincham were eleventh after a chastening defeat at Boreham Wood last time out.

REPORT:

On what was to prove an exceptionally wet afternoon, Carlisle kicked off defending the end fully populated by their soaked supporters.

The visitors won a corner inside ten seconds which Kelly headed wide. Alty reciprocated with an equally unproductive corner (3 mins).

Carlisle had the better of the opening stages which were littered with petty fouls but the only shot of note was a Davies effort which sailed into a garden on Golf Road (6 mins). With steady, drizzly rain falling, Linney did better to force a routine save from Hutchinson (7 mins).

But just two minutes later the Cumbrians took the lead out of nothing as the former Gateshead man Wearne got up the left and his routine cross was met by what appeared to be Kelly's glancing header which found the back of the net (9 mins). However, despite Kelly's celebrations and the public address announcement, Phil Parkinson later said that it had gone in off Lewis Banks for an own goal.

Soon afterwards it almost got worse for Alty as Wearne won a freekick near the left front corner of the box. Harper's freekick was nodded home by Kelly but it was ruled out for offside (13 mins).

A foul on Knowles earned a freekick from which a Crankshaw shot won a throw near the corner flag. Reddin was already discomfiting his marker Harper who was quite rightly booked for a foul though Mark Hughes, for some unfathomable reason, chose to vent his anger at the decision (16 mins).

Alty now began a good spell with Crankshaw forcing a save before Reed had a shot blocked and a corner resulted. Kelly soon joined Harper in the book for felling Banks (17 mins).

When Banks and Kelly went up for an aerial ball in the box the Alty man was fouled and awarded a penalty (37 mins). Cue Carlisle mass protests and timewasting prevarication by the keeper as Knowles waited patiently witt the ball to take the spot kick.

The Alty man just about beat Breeze from the spot to make it 1-1 (19 mins).

Thomas was the next to haul down the irrepressible Reddin and he became the fourth booking in four minutes for the feisty visitors (20 mins). His intemperate manager made it five yellows with his irate reaction (21 mins).

Carlisle were looking rattled at this stage but now Alty collected their first yellow card, handed out to Osborne (25 mins).

Reddin now skinned Harper once more as the rain began to intensify. A cross from the left saw Knowles emerge injured as he was unable to turn it into the net at the near post. After treatment the Alty man resumed (31 mins).

Alty then allowed Ellis to run 50 yards up the pitch unchallenged before being eased to the ground inside the box but the referee waved play on (32 mins).

What was to prove the decisive moment arrived in the 36th minute as Linney drifted inside from the left and from 20 yards or so fired impressively past Hutchinson to restore his side's kead. His disrespectful celebration was far less impressive as he slid towards the Gold Road end.

He compounded that provocation with some arrogant posing in front of what was presumably a Carlisle photographer, literally just a few feet from the home support. If this is how he repays the club that took him from NPL mediocrity to a lucrative move at national level he can forget being regarded as a hero here.

Play resumed with the booked Harper yet again fouling Reddin who was running rings round him (37 mins). Linney was the next to be outdone by Reddin, who jinked past the striker leaving him on the deck (40 mins).

Next, Reed got up the middle and was taken out by Breeze just outside the box but the referee allowed play to continue as Knowles, to the left, was unable to find the vacated net. The referee failed to take any action against the keeper (43 mins).

Five added minutes were computed during which Crawford was booked for a trip on Linney. Linney recovered to win a late corner which came to nothing.

The first half ended in steady rain which eased during half time.

The first goal threat after the interval arose when Reddin fed Crankshaw whose cross was met on the volley by Crawford but a superb defensive block prevented what looked like a certain goal (53 mins). A corner resulted, after which Reed's cross came so close to equalising, hitting the inside of the far post before being scrambled out for a corner .

Moments later Reddin again got the better of Harper who picked up a second yellow card (54 mins). From the freekick, the ball came to Crankshaw who skied his effort into Golf Road.

The visitors were now slowing down play as they continued a man short.

But Alty were not capitalising on their advantage with a mispass, a foul and a miscontrol by Crankshaw inside a spell of a couple of minutes (60 mins).

Play was drifting on with Alty failing to create real openings from their plentiful possession.

Having won a corner Alty made two changes, one of which saw Ward come on to take it. He replaced Marriott (68 mins) just after Ward had come on for Crankshaw (67 mins).

Carlisle now blatantly wound down time as keeper Breeze went down off the ball for protracted tretanent to a mystery leg ailment which nevertheless did not stop him from restarting play with a kick upfield (70 mins).

Next Reddin was put through on goal by Gale but he hesitated and was closed down inside the box (72 mins).

At this point Macadam came on for Wearne. Alty soon had another decent chance but Ward was only able to head weakly to Breeze.

Linney was the next Carlisle man to go down for treatment before Kosylo came on for Knowles (79 mins) For the visitors, Ajiboye and Jones replaced lLinney and Luamba (80 mins).

The disjointed second half continued with yet another stoppage as Feeney replaced Davies (84 mins).

As time ticked away, Ellis was booked (86 mins) before a cross from the right by Golden somehow evaded both Gale and Kosylo in the goalmouth (90mins).

Seven added minutes were announced. Soon after winning his side a corner, Crawford's midfield lunge brought him a second yellow and his dismissa, which reduced the game to a ten aside contest (90+5 mins).

By now the heavens had opened again and monsoon conditions accompanied the closng stages of the game. Alty were unable to get their equaliser though they had given a decent account of themselves.