Greg Tansey scores from the penalty spot but Boro lose at home to United

Stevenage 1 Carlisle United 3

Sky Bet League 1

Stevenage conceded twice in the final 14 minutes as Carlisle United put on a late show at the Lamex Stadium this afternoon (Saturday).

Boro once again lacked a cutting edge in the final third with their goal coming from the penalty spot, while at the other end goals from Lee Miller, Matt Robson and David Amoo made sure the Cumbrian side’s long trip home would be a happy one.

Stevenage began the game with two strikers, with Oumare Tounkara partnering Jordan Burrow, while James Dunne was drafted into midfield in place of Simon Heslop.

There were a couple of half chances in the opening stages. Firstly, Tounkara’s pace took him behind a defender before the front man shot wide for Stevenage.

For the visitors, Lee Miller sent a header straight at Chris Day before moments later the same player found himself just shy of connecting with a diving header to a ball across the face of goal.

Miller, though, would eventually find the back of the net with 25 minutes on the clock. The visitors had targeted Roarie Deacon once or twice already and they attacked down the right before putting a cross into the box.

The initial shot was blocked on the line by Jon Ashton, but Miller was there to tap home to give his side the lead.

Boro were forced into a change midway through the first half with Robin Shroot coming on for the injured Burrow, while at half-time Deacon, who struggled in the first period, was replaced by Lee Hills.

Tounkara, yet to score for the club, had the best chance of the game so far for the home side on 52 minutes when he headed a corner at goal, only for Mark Gillespie to keep his effort out.

Freeman then tried his luck with a low drive, but fired it wide from distance.

The Stevenage winger had been showing signs of promise in the early stages of the half, and when he got the wrong side of Troy Archibald-Henville in the Carlisle penalty area just before the hour he was tripped from behind allowing Greg Tansey to equalise from the spot.

Freeman, quickly becoming a thorn in Carlisle’s side, then threw out a couple of stepovers, leaving Archibald-Henville motionless, before firing low and hard only to hit the outside of Gillespie’s left-hand post.

Carlisle, though, were not done, and with 14 minutes left on the clock they went ahead for the second time in the match.

Cutting inside on the left, Robson had too much space and he placed his shot past Day and just inside the goalkeeper’s far post to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

The lead was almost increased shortly afterwards when two Carlisle substitutes combined, Michael Beck sending in a cross and David Symington getting in front of his man to flick a leg out to divert the ball on to the crossbar.

And then with six minutes to go the visitors did score a third with Boro hit on the break. Symington it was who rushed down the wing on the right, and after he had hit the post with a low effort Amoo followed up from the edge of the box into an empty net.

Luke Freeman then tested Gillespie with a decent free-kick, but Carlisle, who deserved the victory, were able to keep their hosts from scoring a second.

Stevenage (4-4-2): Day, Gray, Deacon (Hills 46), Hartley, Ashton, Tansey, Freeman, Dunne, Doughty, Burrow (Shroot 33), Tounkara. Subs: Arnold, Jones, Wedgbury, Heslop, Smith.

Carlisle United (4-1-4-1): Gillespie, Townsend, Archibald-Henville, O’Hanlos,, McSweeney, Thirwell, Berrett (Symington 75), Amoo, Robson, Noble, Miller (Beck 52). Subs: Fleming, Livesey, Potts, James, Guy.

Ref: Davies

Att: 2,526