Carlisle United 1 Mansfield Town 2: Like springtime weather, this Carlisle United campaign remains in two minds. It will probably be like this until the very end. "Our season is still massively alive," said Keith Curle, after a defeat that saw his team look nothing like a play-off contender.

On Saturday there was sun, rain and other points between. This April day started with the bright idea that United might finally eat up the one-point gap between themselves and the top seven.

Instead, it ended with another damp reflection on their shortcomings, the Blues having gone an extra point adrift thanks to their failure to contain a Mansfield side who hadn't won in seven games.

If League Two has an archetypal team, United certainly make a compelling case. Curle is right to say they are still in touch, but the risk is that Carlisle's consistency crisis will now cost them the chance to turn a decent season into a resounding one.

That United are capable of toppling Bristol Rovers amid a formidable winning run, and then two weeks later can help Mansfield out of their mid-table rut, tells you precisely where they are. That they have not strung two league wins together since November, the same.

Carlisle were not short of attempts on Mansfield's goal, but the quality of those attempts was limited, while far too many crosses ended up in the mitts of the visiting goalkeeper, Scott Shearer.

"Sometimes that can come out of nerves, players being desperate to do the right thing," Curle said. "Sometimes that can cost you half a yard.

"It’s a pressure situation for these players. They are desperate to do well for this football club."

This was Curle being as protective as he could after a deflating result, and one hopes he will be rewarded at Cambridge next weekend. There, Carlisle will need to help themselves by being much tidier around the opposition box, and defending their goal with greater authority and control.

Colin Daniel's opener was the result of penalty-box confusion after a corner, and Reggie Lambe's winner found a gap that shouldn't have been there. Tom Miller's consolation in the final seconds was the result of pressure that was territorial without ever looking dynamic.

It was too wasteful, too often, and the tone was set in a first half that ought to have seen about three Carlisle goals but in the event produced just the one, for Adam Murray's men.

United started with the right intentions but also looked vulnerable when Mansfield counter-attacked, led by Lambe's pace and Matt Green's appetite. In the early stages, dominated by a rash of free-kicks, Alex Gilliead hit the outside of the post after a jink infield.

Mansfield would later waste time with a regularity that Curle found "very annoying" but they also found a few weak spots around Carlisle's box. Jack Thomas drilled through United's left side in a move that nearly saw a deflected goal for Matt Blair, while Mark Gillespie's agility was needed to keep out Green's diving header.

Carlisle's passing at the back was painstaking, at times awkward and occasionally sloppy. One Mark Ellis error saw Lambe embark on a speedy run, and moments later Adam Chapman's hanging corner eventually landed at Daniel's feet.

His finish was accurate, and the opening goal drew United into a more urgent spell that ought to have seen them level. While crosses from right and left too often found Shearer at his near post, Carlisle got closer when Jason Kennedy was found by Miller's header, but the midfielder hooked wide.

More attacks followed, Brandon Comley shooting into a black shirt, Jabo Ibehre sidefooting Kennedy's cross wide, Shearer denying Comley at his near post, and Chapman clearing Miller's header off the line.

Then, after a Miller 50-50 with Emmanuel Dieseruvwe that brought many players together in dispute and Mansfield's bench up in purposeful protest (Miller was booked), there was the miss that rather captured Ibehre's current form, as the top scorer prodded wide Ellis' header from a great position to the left of the target.

Had that fallen to the striker in August or September, the net would surely have bulged. As it is Ibehre remains on 15 goals, only one of them in 2016, and with Charlie Wyke starved of chances on his return from injury there was concern about United's ability to spin this game around.

Gilliead, roaming behind the strikers, seemed the most likely player to lift Carlisle out of their frustration, but in the second half United's edge wasn't sharp enough. Gilliead shot wide and was then thwarted by Shearer. Ellis then bailed out Michael Raynes at the other end, and Curle eventually turned to last Tuesday's matchwinner, Hallam Hope.

No sooner had the sub sunk his studs into the turf than Carlisle were further adrift, and while Mansfield's second goal looked bleak from a home perspective, it is fair to credit the scorer for the way he used defensive bodies as a decoy before planting the ball inside the near post, as Gillespie went down late.

Chopped by Lambe, Carlisle made hard work of closing stages that were spent almost entirely in Mansfield's half, but with a reel of long throws and crosses that were dealt with by a team happy to sit deep, and a defence manned well by Ryan Tafazolli.

United did not so much bash the door down as peer through the letterbox. Derek Asamoah added a touch more pace, while Gilliead kept going, but it says much for Carlisle's potency that Curle hooked Ibehre whilst sending Raynes up front for the closing 15 minutes.

The largest squad of players for some time, and the centre-half up top: another spectacle that showed Carlisle's limitations, even if it did lead to a few skirmishes at the death involving Hope (blocked by Tafazolli), Danny Grainger (blocked on the line) and Miller, who beat Shearer to a Wyke nod-down to prod home in the 94th minute.

Late goals have been ecstatic at this ground before, but this one made little imprint, and the result nudged Carlisle's promotion odds out to 33/1. A similar price could be had on Saturday's Grand National winner, Rule The World, so optimism can by all means survive. Crash into another fence, though, and that will probably be the end of the chase.

MARK GILLESPIE - Little chance with opener, while he seemed unsighted for Lambe's winner. Keeper made a couple of decent saves to keep Carlisle in the contest.

TOM MILLER - After coming close to scoring more than once, defender finally snatched a very late consolation. Workmanlike effort in defence, while crossing was a mixed bag.

MACAULAY GILLESPHEY - Carlisle weren't secure enough when Mansfield attacked, and while Gillesphey was tidy enough on the ball, it wasn't an impressive day overall at the back.

MICHAEL RAYNES - Carlisle were far from polished with their play from the back, and Raynes made some errors. Late presence up front at least gave Blues some aerial focus.

MARK ELLIS - Saved Blues with a couple of challenges, though United weren't comfortable against Stags' pace on the break, and mistakes crept in. Replaced when Curle changed system.

BRANDON COMLEY - The better of Carlisle's midfielders, QPR loanee Comley drove into Mansfield's danger area more than once and showed good industry throughout.

JASON KENNEDY - Got into a couple of decent positions but failed to take advantage. Kept going but midfielder couldn't really impose himself enough to get Blues back into game.

DANNY GRAINGER - Captain was often involved with long throws and crosses, some of which deserved better end result, some of which weren't up to his high standard.

ALEX GILLIEAD - If anyone was going to inspire Carlisle out of a stodgy performance it was Gilliead, who often put Mansfield on back foot, produced some moments of flair, and hit post early on.

JABO IBEHRE - While the top scorer tried to be a useful link-man, his goal threat has waned and he missed a good first-half chance before being replaced after the break.

CHARLIE WYKE - Back from injury, the striker was alert to Mansfield mistakes early on, but found Tafazolli and company difficult to elude for most of the game.

Subs: Hallam Hope (for Ellis 60) - A few scrapes; Derek Asamoah (for Ibehre 68) - Injected extra pace; Jack Stacey (for Kennedy 74) - Couple of half-chances.

Not used: Dan Hanford, Luke Joyce, David Atkinson, Antony Sweeney.

Goal: Miller 90

Booked: Miller, Comley

Mansfield Town: Shearer, Alfei, Tafazolli, Collins, Chapman, Blair, Lambe, Thomas (McGuire 74), Daniel (Benning 38), Green, Dieseruvwe (Rose 50). Not used: Jensen, Beardsley, Yussuf, Baxendale.

Goals: Daniel 21, Lambe 62

Ref: David Webb (Tyne & Wear)

Crowd: 4,426 (157 Mansfield fans)