Stevenage 1 Carlisle Utd 2: Danny Grainger's second-half penalty earned Carlisle United victory at Stevenage - and broke a club record for their longest unbeaten start to a season.

The skipper slotted home in the 56th minute to settle a tight contest for Keith Curle's team at the Lamex Stadium.

That ensured an historic 14th straight unbeaten league game this campaign - beating the previous 13-match record set by Paul Simpson's side in 2004.

And it took Curle's team up to second in League Two.

Jason Kennedy had earlier given the Blues the lead before Matt Godden equalised with a Stevenage penalty before the break.

Grainger's fifth goal of the campaign then earned a fourth straight win in the league for the Cumbrians - the first time they have been on such a run since 2008.

Midfielder Kennedy landed the first blow in the 17th minute for United.

His close-range shot was deemed to have crossed the line after keeper Jamie Jones saved Charlie Wyke's effort after a long throw.

But United were pegged back shortly before the break when Tom Miller was penalised for holding Charlie Lee at a Stevenage corner.

Godden hammered home from the spot in the 44th minute.

Ref Nick Kinseley was at the centre of plenty of first-half incident, angering both sides with some of his decisions.

United received four yellow cards before the break - to Kennedy, Grainger, Miller and Nicky Adams - with Grainger's booking his fifth of the season, meaning he will miss Carlisle's next game through suspension.

Recalled Wyke had shot over the bar in the eighth minute, before Kennedy opened the scoring.

Home keeper Jones was booked for his protests, before the hosts responded through Godden, whose dangerous run in the 32nd minute was stopped by a timely Macaulay Gillesphey tackle.

Godden then levelled as the half ended with Curle and his players continuing their protests to ref Kinseley.

But after the break, home defender Luke Wilkinson was penalised for climbing on Michael Raynes - and Grainger made no mistake with his penalty.

Stevenage tried to force their way back, sending plenty of crosses into the Blues box, but United stood firm.

Sub Harry McKirdy almost set up Jack King, while Mark Gillespie saved a McKirdy header as United held on.

Derek Asamoah nearly forced a last-gasp third for the Blues, who had six players booked in total as well as four by the fussy Kinseley.

Carlisle have now gone 10 away league games without defeat, equalling the second best run in their history and putting them two short of the 12-game record set by Bill Shankly's 1950/1 side.

Before the game Curle said defender David Atkinson had been ruled out after a training ground injury.

Stevenage: Jones, Henry, Ntlhe, Franks, Wilkinson, King, Gorman (Pett 71), Lee, Kennedy (McKirdy 71), Godden (Tonge 84), Cowans. Not used: Day, Fox, Schumacher, Wells

United: Gillespie, T Miller, Grainger (Brisley 84), Raynes, Gillesphey, Jones, Joyce, Kennedy, Adams, Wyke (Lambe 67), Ibehre (Asamoah 84). Not used: Crocombe, Ellis, Devitt, McKee.