Carlisle United concluded their 2017/18 pre-season campaign unbeaten after winning 3-1 against Blackburn Rovers.

In what was, by friendly standards, an entertaining clash – particularly during the first half – Carlisle led at the break and the Cumbrians sealed the victory in second-half stoppage-time when Shaun Miller found the net.

Prior to yesterday evening’s friendly, the only blip in Blackburn’s pre-season friendly preparations had been a 1-0 defeat to Czech Republic club Sparta Prague. So, to claim a result against them will certainly offer positive signs to Keith Curle and his staff.

The Lancashire club had the first chance on the night in the third minute when Danny Graham dragged the ball back to Dominic Samuel who fired over Jack Bonham’s crossbar.

Up until this game in pre-season, Curle’s men had only played non-league opposition. And Blackburn’s players, who will certainly be hoping to play a large part in this term’s League One promotion race, looked comfortable on the ball, spraying it around in defence with consummate ease.

But Hallam Hope, on his return to Brunton Park, did look to be causing Tony Mowbray’s defence problems as Hope almost latched on to a fizzed Nicky Adams cross from the right wing on 10 minutes.

Carlisle took the lead with 12 minutes on the clock. Adams was allowed far too much room on the right and he flashed another driven cross across goal, which was diverted past Blackburn keeper David Raya by team-mate Ryan Nyambe.

Three minutes later, Graham found the net, only to be denied by the offside flag. But he wasn’t to be denied on the 17th minute. He found the net at the second attempt to level the scores and get his fifth goal of pre-season.

United had the next opportunity of the contest. Captain Danny Grainger picked out a midfield run from Jamie Devitt, but the former Morecambe midfielder was just unable to get the ball under his spell.

The Cumbrians were more than holding their own in the match and had another chance on the half hour mark. Tom Miller did well to direct Adams’ right-wing cross towards goal, although there was not enough power on the delivery for the effort to seriously test Blackburn’s Spanish goalkeeper Raya.

Bonham, set to be with United for at least the first half of the season, then showed the home fans a glimpse of what they might come to expect from him. Samuel drove in a low shot which the young keeper managed to parry away from the path of the on-rushing Graham on the 37th minute.

Hope was again influential in United’s second goal. With Reggie Lambe in space to his right, the striker instead passed to his left to Irish midfielder Devitt. But his cross to the far post found Lambe and the Bermudian made no mistake from close range.

Rovers looked a threat when they did get forward, with ex-Blue Graham central to most of their attacks, but it was the Cumbrian side that held the upper hand at half-time.

Curle made one change at the break in goal, with Morgan Bacon coming on for Bonham.

No yellow cards were awarded during the course of the match. However, had Elliott Ward’s late challenge on former Bury man Hope come during a competitive fixture, it would almost definitely have warranted more than the warning that it received from Cumbrian referee Anthony Backhouse six minutes after the restart.

United could, and perhaps should, have extended their lead just before the hour mark. Devitt found Hope who broke through. Rovers’ defence recovered but Hope was still able to find Lambe who was denied his second goal of the game by a fine stop from Raya.

The tempo of the friendly certainly seemed to have died down somewhat in the first 20 minutes of the second half with clear-cut chances few and far between.

Gateshead-born frontman Graham, Blackburn’s scorer on the night, was removed to applause from both sets of supporters.

With 22 minutes to play, Grainger crossed for Lambe, although the winger couldn’t get enough power behind his header.

New signing Bennett, who scored for Barrow against Blackburn when the two sides met earlier in pre-season, was given a warm ovation as he came on for his first Carlisle appearance 20 minutes from time.

Substitute Liam Feeney almost made an early impact as he cracked a shot against Bacon’s crossbar following a cutback by Elliott Bennett.

At the other end, midfield man Lambe peppered the gloves of Raya who held the effort on the 79th minute.

Soon after, Raya was forced to parry a driven cross from Grainger before, at the other end, Bradley Dack thought he had levelled the scores only for his effort to go inches past Bacon’s right-hand post.

And United sealed the victory in stoppage-time when a clever backheel from the one remaining unnamed trialist, understood to be Sam Cosgrove, found Miller who tucked the ball past Raya.

But, in truth, the results of Carlisle’s warm-up fixtures will mean little come the end of the campaign – however positive they might be. But they certainly offer encouraging signs to Blues fans.

With the start of their League Two season, at home to Swindon, now just seven days away, Curle gave Bonham and Tom Parkes their first starts at Brunton Park in Carlisle United shirts. Mike Jones was also named in the starting line-up and was eventually substituted after 80 minutes, while Hope made his Brunton Park return.

Bennett, who joined the Blues for an undisclosed fee from Barrow on Tuesday evening, started on the subs’ bench alongside one remaining trialist, who replaced Luke Joyce late in the second period.

Former Carlisle United man Graham captained the strong Blackburn starting line-up which also included summer signing former Gillingham play-maker Dack and Elliott Bennett.

The match was refereed by Cumbrian Anthony Backhouse with father, Chris, the fourth official.

This was the Blues’ first home pre-season friendly in nearly two years.

United: Bonham (Bacon 45), T.Miller, Grainger (c), Joyce (trialist), Liddle (Ellis 70), Parkes (S.Miller 70), Jones (Holt 79), Hope (Bennett 70), Adams (Egan 75), Devitt (Nabi 70), Lambe. Unused sub: Salkeld.

Blackburn: Raya, Nyambe, Williams, Smallwood, Samuel, Graham (c) (Feeney 65), Ward, Dack, Caddis, Evans (Whittingham 65), Bennett. Unused subs: Fisher, Platt, Costello, Tomlinson, Nuttall, Doyle.

Referee: Anthony Backhouse.

Goals: (Carlisle United): 12 – own goal from Nyambe, Lambe 41, S.Miller 90. (Blackburn) – Graham, 17.

Attendance: 1,816 (312 away fans).