A young Pools Reserve Team were swept aside by a more experienced Carlisle United side at The Ron Greig Stadium this afternoon.

The visitors ran out comfortable 4-1 winners this afternoon in Ian Butterworth's side's first Central League Cup game of the season.

Pools had started quite brightly when a Mark Ellison ball forward found Gary McRoberts running in on goal but keeper Chris Howarth got down well to block the shot.

Jonny Rowell then intercepted a Carlisle defensive clearance to run back in but his low drive was held by Howarth.

It didn't take the visitors long to step things up and when they did, they made scoring look easy.

Gary Madine broke through to go one-on-one with Mark Cook and although his low drive was blocked well by the Pools' stopper, Luke Joyce arrived to poke home the opening goal with twenty minutes on the clock.

Five minutes later and it was 2-0; a ball into the box from the right wing found the influential Michael Bridges in space, he received the ball well, executing an impressive volley which looped over Cook and into the top right corner of the net.

Carlisle nearly had a third when Madine pushed a corner towards goal but the effort was cleared off the line by Jack Sharples.

Jonny Rowell did have a chance to give Pools one back just before the break when he ran through on Howarth but despite managing to lift the ball over the keeper, his effort scraped wide of target.

The visitors maintained their pressure in the second half and with less than fifteen minutes having been played, it was 3-0.

Madine latched on to a long ball forward, ran in to go one-on-one with Cook and simply lobbed the ball over the out-rushing keeper to hit home.

Pools had an effort cleared off the line when Michael Mackay picked up the rebound from a Matty Tymon effort but Mackay's header was headed back off the line by Josh Gowling.

There were further chances for both Madine and Bridges which were saved by Cook before Carlisle finally grabbed their fourth. A surging run by Grant Smith from the half way line saw him power his way into the box before slotting the ball into the back of the net.

Butterworth's men grabbed a late consolation when Mackay forced home a loose ball in the box after good work by Martin Young on the right wing but Pools were well beaten by a more experienced outfit this afternoon.

Full Time: Pools 1 Carlisle United 4

Pools: Cook, Young, Sharples, Johnson, Tait, Ellison, Martin, Rowell, Tymon, Mackay, McRoberts (Blackford)
Subs Not Used: Mason, Scaife, Quantrill, Thomas

Carlisle United: Howarth, Blake, Duffy, G Smith, Keogh, Gowling, Joyce (Cooke 53), Wallwork, Bridges, Madine, J Smith
Subs Not Used: Aldred, Mitchell, Tinnion, Lakeland