Newport County 1 Carlisle United 0: Newport’s record defeat, a 13-0 thumping at Newcastle in 1946, brought the priceless remark from Len Shackleton that the pride of South Wales were “lucky to get nil”.

Carlisle United may have trudged out of the Exiles’ ground 70 years later feeling quite the same about themselves. Zero was the upper limit of what they deserved, their bleak performance affected – according to Keith Curle – by a virus that swept through the club during the week.

However damaging the bug actually was, this 1-0 defeat left United’s promotion hopes in weak health, unless improvements come quickly, starting at Accrington tomorrow night.

The upside to a run of nine games in 29 days is that a new opportunity is soon tapping at your door. Carlisle are already closer to their next game than this wasted one – and that is a relief, for their efforts here were as stodgy as Newport’s surface.

Joe Day, goalkeeper for the team with the second-worst home record in League Two, barely got his gloves dirty, even after Scott Boden had put them in front and United were supposed to be building a fightback.

This was quite some feat, considering the bog Day was playing on: one that also hosts two rugby union teams. United have been useful at comebacks this season but on Saturday they never got out of their rut. Brandon Comley’s late red card was the final custard pie in the faces of 200 cold and dejected fans.

It was not by any means the cheeriest way to launch Carlisle into a new era, if that’s what Curle’s new contract will do. After what looked like a long post-match inquest, United’s boss emerged to inform the media that the wrangling is finally over and he was ready to put ink on paper, 81 days after officially “agreeing” the terms.

A deal until 2018 will be the result when Curle at last picks up his biro. It will end at least one of the big uncertainties at Brunton Park and should enable the boss to build. He cannot affect another large unknown, regarding investment, but he can certainly get stuck into a third: whether this team are really equipped for a promotion push.

The virus revelation sounded like an appeal for leniency from those of us who watched possibly the worst league showing of United’s season so far. After a cold and muddy scuffle of a first half, Newport got in front and outstripped Carlisle for energy, purpose and ideas.

The fourth tier’s fifth-bottom team were well worth the points that will boost their survival push. They have beaten Carlisle in four straight meetings since returning to the Football League. United missed the leadership and delivery of Danny Grainger, their injured captain, while those selected were grimly unable to construct any kind of progressive performance.

Their strikers were isolated, their wide men less than dynamic, their 4-4-2 clunking rather than smooth. They were second to too many balls, looked in need of outside help, and were their own worst enemies when Boden sneaked onside to tap home the winner, in the 57th minute.

The best creativity, as things developed, was offered by Newport’s Connor Wilkinson, not any of United’s young prospects. The best midfield control was exerted by Mark Byrne, not the Blues’ middle men. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, when Carlisle set off for South Wales intending to make a stride back towards the top seven.

To start with, deceptively, they didn’t look especially sluggish. There was no hint of a virus when Jabo Ibehre was outmuscling Ben Davies in the first minute, and Comley was snapping into Byrne seconds later.

A David Atkinson attempt, forcing a scrambling save from Day, was the result of more good pressing, but it wasn’t backed up with enough reliability on the ball, as Mark Ellis’ regular long throws failed to unsettle Newport.

Warren Feeney’s energetic strugglers glimpsed a few possibilities as they tried to bury their nerves, their manager watching from a TV gantry as he served a touchline ban. An Alex Rodman cross deserved a better finish from John-Christophe Ayina, while Ellis’s block was vital to deny Boden at close range. Wilkinson, showing quick feet, next whipped one wide from 25 yards.

There were periods of aerial and physical conflict, not producing much worth watching, and a pair of wasted advances from Carlisle, when both Ibehre and Alex Gilliead crossed weakly after brief moments of enterprise down the right.

Steadily, though, Newport sensed their visitors were perhaps there for the beating. All they needed was a break. In the first half they didn’t get it, for a Darren Jones header failed to find the finish it needed, and Boden then shot wide after scampering clean through onto a long ball.

Carlisle having failed to profit from their own remaining chances, Ellis heading over and Jones pipping Antony Sweeney to a head-tennis move at close range, the home side then reappeared for the second half and took further advantage of United’s uncreative play.

Both sides were soon forced back into inactivity, due to a Scott Barrow head injury which eventually saw the Newport left-back stretchered off (reports say Barrow is okay, thankfully). But the long stoppage only delayed what had become alarmingly inevitable.

Newport’s winner saw them sharper than United and more cutting with their movement. After a corner was cleared, Jones clipped it back into the box, where sub Janoi Donacien won a header, the unmarked Rodman drilled it across the six-yard box and Boden had time to control it before nudging it home.

In earlier times this season that would have been all the provocation Carlisle needed. Here, they lacked the bite and cohesion that would have troubled a relegation battler. Their response was paltry, Macaulay Gillesphey rolling a free-kick wide, Comley aiming a tame volley over the bar, and Newport more effectively getting beyond United’s defensive line.

Curle sent on the fit-again Luke Joyce in a midfield reshuffle, later adding Hallam Hope and Derek Asamoah, but the home penalty area remained a safe zone. There was nearly a second Newport goal, when ref Lee Collins appeared to give a penalty for a Gillesphey foul on Wilkinson, but then changed his mind to a free-kick outside the box, which Davies fired against Gillespie’s legs.

All the encouragement was Newport’s, their small but vocal crowd in one breath singing a charming ditty about their intimate appreciation of sheep, and in the next roaring their joy when Comley, having fouled Byrne with a leaping challenge, saw the first red card of his young career: a second yellow that rules him out of tomorrow’s game.

A Wilkinson near-miss, seconds before the end, denied the game’s most imaginative player a goal to decorate his day. The Bolton loanee had defied the pitch at times and proved that good footwork and bright ideas can still survive, whatever the terrain.

Carlisle were certainly short of both against the ‘Amber Army’. So at Accrington their season needs another green light.

MARK GILLESPIE – While Newport did not exactly pepper him with shots, Gillespie made a couple of watchful saves, and though the surface made kicking a challenge, there was little he could do to prevent Boden’s winner.

DAVID ATKINSON – Right-back had an early shot saved while at the back, he opted to feed United’s attacking players with channel balls on poor pitch. Had his hands full in defence at times.

MACAULAY GILLESPHEY – Called into starting line-up after good sub showing against Accrington, the young loanee was committed but, like others, found himself on back foot too often after break.

MICHAEL RAYNES – Captain was one of United’s better players on a poor afternoon, showing leadership at the back and making some brave blocks, before Boden sneaked through.

MARK ELLIS – Got Carlisle out of a few scrapes when Newport were applying pressure, though was put under pressure at times, while his long throws didn’t trouble hosts enough.

BRANDON COMLEY – Started sharply and always chased hard, but but United’s midfielders were unable to dictate terms, and the young loanee was late in a couple of challenges that saw him sent off in closing stages.

JASON KENNEDY – For all his usual industry, which kept United competitive in first half, Byrne and co got the better of things in the midfield scramble as Newport prevailed overall.

ANTONY SWEENEY – On the left, Sweeney was recalled to add his experience and industry in a physical game, but found it hard to make any headway before he was replaced in second half.

ALEX GILLIEAD – A couple of lively first-half forays on the boggy pitch aside, the loanee was unable to torment Newport on either right or left, and he was replaced with 20 minutes to go.

JABO IBEHRE – Started the game as though he might give Newport defenders an unsettling afternoon, but both he and Wyke were starved of service and Ibehre, now goalless in seven, did little damage.

CHARLIE WYKE – On this occasion Carlisle’s frontmen were not on the same wavelength while they seldom linked with midfield and wingers to dangerous effect. Wyke fed off the smallest of scraps.

Subs: Luke Joyce (for Sweeney 65) – Unable to turn tide on return; Hallam Hope (for Gilliead 70) – Struggled to make progress on left; Derek Asamoah (for Ibehre 85) – Chased lost causes. Not used: Dan Hanford, Bastien Hery, Joe Thompson, Alex McQueen.

Booked: Ellis, Comley. Sent off: Comley

Newport County: Day, Holmes, Barrow (Donacien 53), Joes, Davies, Elito (Klukowski 70), Wilkinson, Ayina, Boden (Morgan 90), Rodman, Byrne. Not used: Beeney, Owen-Evans, Partridge, Dymond.

Goal: Boden 56

Booked: Rodman, Byrne

Ref: Lee Collins (Surrey)

Crowd: 2,106 (200 Carlisle fans)