Carlisle 1-2 Mansfield: Stags check Carlisle progress

Mansfield put a dampener on Carlisle's Sky Bet League Two play-off hopes with a 2-1 win at Brunton Park.

Stags manager Adam Murray had called for a back-to-basics approach against his former club and his side responded with goals in each half from Colin Daniel and Reggie Lambe before Tom Miller's late effort for Carlisle.

Chances came thick and fast early on as Carlisle's Alex Gilliead struck the outside of the post before the Stags twice went close.

Goalkeeper Mark Gillespie stabbed a clearance straight at Matty Blair and the ball flew inches wide off the midfielder's shins.

Gillespie then had to be on top form to turn away a header from his own centre-back Mark Ellis as Matt Green put the defender under pressure.

Carlisle looked distinctly nervy at the back and Mansfield went ahead in the 21st minute when Ryan Tafazolli won the header from a corner and Daniel pounced to drill his shot home from 12 yards.

The Cumbrians hit back strongly before the break with Jabo Ibehre and Jason Kennedy both failing to convert close-range chances, and Michael Raynes' header forced Adam Chapman to hook clear off the line.

Carlisle went on the offensive in the second half, but were caught cold by a second Mansfield goal in the 62nd minute when Lambe twisted and turned to create space for himself on the edge of the area before sliding a low shot just inside Gillespie's left-hand post.

The home side threw all their forward substitutes on, but Miller's scrambled goal deep into stoppage time came too late to save the day.