Fleetwood Town exited the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Carlisle United.
Tom Miller’s header in the first half of extra time secured the win, despite Jordy Hiwula’s equaliser after Shaun Miller opened the scoring for the Cumbrians in the first half.
Uwe Rosler made six changes to the side that beat Rotherham United on Saturday, with Harvey Rodgers, Markus Schwabl, Aiden O’Neill, Joe Maguire, Ashley Hunter and Devante Cole all starting. Rodgers and O’Neill were making their full debuts for the club.
Town started the game the better and threatened down the right side with Lewie Coyle almost finding Cole, but opposition keeper Jack Bonham was alert.
The opening goal came against the run of play, and with a slice of luck for the visitors too. Shaun Miller found space on the left side of the area and a deflection of Coyle helped the ball of the head of Alex Cairns and into the net.
Rosler’s side responded with headers from Ashley Eastham and Cian Bolger, but we were to go in behind at the break.
Cairns then denied Reggie Lambe from close range right at the second half to keep the score down to one. A big save at the time.
Kyle Dempsey and Conor McAleny were introduced after the hour mark, with the latter causing problems from the off, and fired an effort just past the post.
Then came the deserved equaliser. Rodgers fired the ball down the right hand side to Coyle, who crossed perfectly for Hiwula to fire home from six yards. A quality goal all round.
Town ended regular time the better of the two sides and came close with McAleny and Hiwula threatening, but the game was destined for extra time.
It was to be Carlisle who got the decisive goal. Danny Grainger’s dangerous in-swinging corner was bravely headed home by substitute Tom Miller.
Rodgers was dismissed late on for a second booking, and will miss Saturday’s trip to Northampton.
Fleetwood: Cairns; Rodgers, Bolger (c), Eastham; Coyle, Schwabl, O’Neill, Maguire; Hunter, Cole, Hiwula. Subs: Neal, Bell, Dempsey, Burns, McAleny, Glendon, Ekpolo.
Carlisle: Bonham; Liddle, Parkes, Ellis, Grainger (c); Lambe, Joyce, Jones, Devitt; Miller, Bennett. Subs: Bacon, Miller, Hope, Adams, Cosgrove, Salkeld, Egan.
Attendance: 1,711 (571)