Carlisle United 2 Colchester United 0

Colchester United were powerless to prevent hosts Carlisle from setting a new club record, in Cumbria this afternoon.

Carlisle eased to victory, so extending their unbeaten run to 11 league games at the start of this season – an outright club record – after they had equalled the previous landmark of 10 with a draw against Doncaster in midweek.

The below-par U’s were no match for Keith Curle’s men, after a fairly even first half, and goals from Jason Kennedy and ex-Colchester striker Jabo Ibehre eased the Cumbrians to victory.

It was a fairly subdued first half, with neither keeper having a serious save to make, although Carlisle shaded it with a series of half-chances, most of them blocked by defenders.

But the Cumbrians made the breakthrough, by making their pressure count at the start of the second half.

Sam Walker had already made a couple of fine saves, in quick succession, and he did well to keep out Michael Raynes’ goal-bound header from Nicky Adams’ corner, only for Kennedy to sweep home the loose ball, for a 51st minute opener.

Sammie Szmodics should really have equalised in the 66th minute, but he lifted his shot over the bar from just eight feet out, with just keeper Gillespie to beat, following Lewis Kinsella’s delivery.

That was to prove the visitors’ best chance of the match.

And Carlisle made the U’s pay for that miss, but doubling their lead through Ibehre on 79 minutes.

Ex-U’s front-man Ibehre had only been on the pitch for six minutes, as a substitute, when he ghosted in to head home Danny Grainger’s corner.

Walker seemed to get behind the effort, but the ball eluded his grasp and dropped into the net.

So while Carlisle are going from strength to strength, with four wins and seven draws from their first 11 games, the U’s have now picked up just two points from their last four games.

Squads

CARLISLE: Gillespie, T Miller, Raynes, Gillesphey, Grainger, Joyce, Jones (sub Devitt, 87), Adams (sub Lambe, 65), Kennedy, Wyke, S Miller (sub Ibehre, 73). Unused subs: Crocombe, Ellis, Brisley, McKee, Lambe.

COLCHESTER: Walker, Brindley, Prosser, Eastman, Kinsella, Slater, Guthrie, Wright (sub Porter, 78), Szmodics (sub Kamara, 85), Fosu (sub Sembie-Ferris, 63), Johnstone. Unused subs: Vincent-Young, Wynter, James & Bransgrove.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancs)

Attendance: 4,560