Everyone knows football is a gambling game.

At the start of the season, Chris Brass put a season and the faith of the fans on having a small squad with the next generation waiting in the wings to plug the occasional gap.

But he hadn't bargained on losing five first team picks at once. And there is a chance that he could now lose the lot with an early cup exit and a crucial - however unbelievable that adjective may have been in the summer - match against lowly Forest Green Rovers looming.

No fewer than seven teenagers played their part on Saturday and another gamble, combining Matthew Coad and full debutant Michael Staley down the right, must have had the bookies rubbing their hands with glee as they desperately struggled to contain the tougher, more experienced Cumbrians.

But inexperience cannot be made the scapegoat for the miserable first half.

Karl Hawley's opener knocked the wind out of the sails of the young contingent as they realised with a sickening jolt that this was going to be more of a Hallowe'en nightmare than a day for cup magic, Hawley skipping past covering defender Staley to slot the ball under David Stockdale on seven minutes.

And then Sean Davies - usually a reliable member of the back four despite his 19 years of age - made the first mistake of an uncharacteristically ghoulish performance.

His attempt to clear was transformed into a shot by the goal-hungry Preece. Stockdale got his legs in the way of it before righting himself to palm a quality follow-up from Hawley round the post.

It was going to be a busy day for him. On 13 minutes he stopped a Preece header from distance before combining with Darren Dunning to scramble away another Hawley effort from a corner.

Further stops on the stroke of half-time and an athletic full-length save from substitute Craig Farrell with seven minutes to go kept the score down.

However, static defending, once from open play and another from a corner, generously invited Preece and skipper Kevin Gray to head in two more in the space of two minutes, York old boy Tom Cowan being given the freedom of the City box to follow up Gray's 30th minute strike just in case.

It was no surprise that the midfield dropped further back to shield the struggling defence, which had already seen a brief flirtation with Coad and Bryan Stewart on alternate wings to break up some of the inexperience.

But it was a move that just created more problems, with overcrowding breeding panicked clearances.

One by centre midfielder Paul Groves verged on the disastrous as he booted the ball into Davies's back and it looped high over Stockdale and, mercifully, on to the top of the bar.

On the few occasions that City broke away, the 'experienced' players did little to redeem the age fascists.

Andy Bishop's touch let him down more than once and an unchallenged header from a great Dunning cross to equalise was poked limply at Carlisle 'keeper Matty Glennon.

A patched-up Lee Nogan ran himself ragged but had nothing left for a decent shot on 28 minutes when he turned into space from Staley's low ball. Groves rose majestically to meet an 85th minute Adam Arthur cross with his head but missed by a mile, and sub Lev Yalcin's best effort flashed wide of the far post.

The yellow-flagged assistant A Taylor should be credited with the assist for Dunning's goal after Stewart's cross hit Simon Grand on the arm. Carlisle felt justifiably aggrieved, but it was never going to be a match-changing moment.

The good news for the eternal optimists and devil's advocates is that this was 'only' a cup match. A continued run would have offered up more opportunities for the injury fairy to visit, albeit with that panacea of cash to maybe draw in some fresh - and more importantly uninjured - legs.

And at least the brief excursion from the rigours of the Conference gives the stricken hoards a chance to regain some of their strength for the cut and thrust of the league.

Whether or not the mental scars of such young blood will heal in time for the visit of Forest Green and beyond is another matter.

Carlisle 3 (Hawley 7, Preece 29, Gray 30), York City 1 (Dunning 71)

Stockdale 7, Merris 7, Brass 6, Davies 4, Staley 5, Stewart 6, Groves 5, Dunning 7, Coad 5 (Yalcin 55, 6), Nogan 6, Bishop 5 (Arthur 63, 7)

Subs not used: Porter, Smith, Haw.

Star man: Merris - Looked strong at the back and lively going forward.

Key: 10 - Faultless; 9 - Outstanding; 8 - Excellent; 7 - Good; 6 - Average; 5 - Below par; 4 - Poor; 3 - Dud; 2 - Hopeless; 1 - Retire

Carlisle: Glennon, Cowan, Gray, Grand, Arnison, Murphy, Billy, Lumsdon, McGill, Preece (Farrell 73), Hawley. Subs not used: Andrews, Henderson, Shelley, Westwood.

Yellow cards: Hawley 58, McGill 73.

Red cards: None.

Referee: Colin Harwood (Manchester). Rating: Will be welcome in York anytime after awarding a slightly harsh penalty and ignoring various minor indiscretions.

Attendance: 5,073.

Weather watch: Sun-drenched pitch, coolish temperature.

Game breaker: Two goals in two minutes ended hopes.

Match rating: Not worth a 240-mile round trip. Terrible first half, a bit better second.

Updated: 09:36 Monday, November 01, 2004