Carlisle United 0 Luton Town 0: After the protest outside the ground, Carlisle United’s players inside it put up a fight against their poor recent form, and at least ended the run of defeats, even if the lack of wins and goals remained.

The build-up to this game was not about the football but the sentiments against those running the Blues. About 50 or so supporters gathered outside the Main Stand from 7pm, making their feelings known about United’s hierarchy.

Then the banners were put away and a quite crucial game broke out inside Brunton Park. It resulted in a lively, sometimes frenetic contest, which delivered a clean sheet for the first time in 29 games and a nudge up the table to fourth.

But the gap to third is still wider, six points now, and while there was encouragement to take from Carlisle’s efforts against a fellow contender, it is going to be play-offs at best until they can learn how to be potent again.

Given the recent spell, not least Saturday’s collapse against Cambridge, one could understand the generally positive response to this much better display overall. One can only hope, now, that it is a little leg-up for the remaining nine games, when Keith Curle’s threadbare squad will try to hobble over the line.

When the temperatures rose after December’s dust-up at Kenilworth Road, this rematch for a while was anticipated as a promotion six-pointer with a heap of extra spice. The league table says it still was. But thoughts of dealing with whatever grudges were created in that 1-1 draw – featuring a contentious red card, two Carlisle injuries and a managerial tiff that lasted a couple of weeks – were, to a fair degree, buried.

United’s dwindling form, and fears of where a promising season might be falling to, were the only real concerns of supporters as kick-off approached.

After the scenes outside the ground, a serious show of harmony was needed by the men in blue shirts, after those four consecutive defeats without scoring and a cluster of untimely injuries. Into the breach where squad numbers were concerned arrived a couple of trialists, Joe Ward and James Hooper, hurried onto short-term deals and added to the bench.

Into the starting line-up came Jamie Proctor, also being nursed through an injury, with Luke Joyce and Shaun Miller also recalled. On paper it was an experienced enough XI even if it was a case of needs must, so depleted have United become.

When the game began they had to survive an extremely early scare before an eager, competitive contest broke out. Fifteen seconds had passed when Luton broke into alarming space, drawing Mark Gillespie outside his box where he was beaten to the ball by Danny Hylton.

Blue bodies got back to narrow that angle, while a firm sliding challenge by Shaun Brisley then gave Alan Sheehan an early free-kick that the defender curled over the bar.

At least, through this, United had avoided early calamity, and from there they put some welcome edge into their play, even as Luton seemed the more fluent attacking side.

There was some early aggro involving Hylton, who left one late on Danny Grainger and received a popular booking in front of the Paddock. John O’Sullivan then tested keeper Matt Macey with a cross while Joyce broke onto a loose pass and drilled into an orange shirt.

A few more spicy challenges followed, three yellow cards before the 20th minute and a fair amount of stick for Nathan Jones, the animated visiting boss. Hylton drilled a shot narrowly wide on the break while the former Carlisle loanee Jordan Cook caused alarm midway through the half, spinning inside Grainger only for Hylton to make little of the chance.

Nicky Adams, looking bright on the left, then engaged Macey with a 20-yarder while Proctor was even closer a few minutes later, having a close-range effort saved on the line as the ball found its way to him from the right. O’Sullivan fired over after more Adams invention while, at the other end, Cook arrived onto a hanging cross but Gillespie held his header.

The longer it went on, the keener United got, and the fairly small Tuesday night crowd were encouraged by their vigour. Jones became more agitated the more Carlisle came on, Grainger thumping a free-kick into a defender, Adams serving Proctor for a headed chance and then, a nearer miss, as O’Sullivan’s deflected shot dipped just over the bar.

A call of “United, United” then broke out as Curle’s side retrieved the ball one more time, and if there was a manager wishing for half-time at this stage it will have been Jones, efforts from Hylton and Cook late in the half increasing rarities for the men from Bedfordshire.

Carlisle’s efforts, of course, still lacked a goal, a problem since Reggie Lambe scored in the 34th minute at Wycombe on February 18. Supporters who gave the players a full-throated send-off at the interval were certainly hoping the wait would soon be over.

O’Sullivan fancied being the man to solve that problem, repeatedly taking on his man and testing Luton’s resolve. A purposeful start to the second half led to a further spate of United corners and a lashed Grainger shot that hit the wrong side of the side-netting.

Carlisle were facing the right way so frequently now that when Tom Miller turned and passed the ball back on 51 minutes, there were loud groans. But back they came again, O’Sullivan again on the run, and it took some time for Luton to emerge back in the Cumbrians’ half, when Luke Gambin fired over the bar after ref Lee Mason played an advantage.

From there, though, the picture changed in the visitors’ favour as they looked to punch a few holes both in Carlisle’s defence and their nerves. Finally attacking the box with more intent, Hylton and Gambin went close, while United were grateful for Miller’s superb block as Sheehan’s inswinging free-kick broke for Glen Rea.

Luton’s best spell then followed, even if they were proving as goal-shy as the Blues. United’s passing on the break became sloppy, allowing the orange shirts to fan forward again. Danger came when Gillespie had to push away a Stephen O’Donnell cross, and was then averted superbly by the goalkeeper, who tipped a Hylton effort against the crossbar.

Carlisle were less sure of themselves in possession. At the back, Gary Liddle clipped the ball accidentally into the face of Luton sub Jack Marriott, Miller slicing the rebound out of play. A few moments later Marriott whipped an angled shot narrowly wide.

United’s own chances had rather dried up – and then the game was held up, Luton’s Dan Potts badly injured in his own box and in need of a stretcher to leave the pitch. It took eight minutes for the prone defender to be treated and then wheeled off, a brace around his neck, James Justin eventually taking his place.

For Carlisle, Hooper then came on for his debut, and some story it would have been if the former Rochdale man had been able to become an instant hero. His first break, alas, ended when defenders closed in and Proctor then fouled Sheehan.

Because of Potts’ injury there were 10 added minutes for one of these top-six dwellers to break the deadlock. A tempting ball reached Adams in the 91st but his deft touch failed him. Another sub, George Waring, headed a Miller missile wide. Luton had their own spells as Hylton earned a free-kick from Grainger which Sheehan wasted.

On it went, Lambe denied a winner in the 99th minute before the final whistle eventually went, late into a night that started with a little rebellion but ended in unusual stalemate.