Oldham's Boundary Park has a reputation as one of England's colder football grounds but it wasn't the only place that gave Carlisle United chills even in the largely positive season of 2007/8.

The campaign remembered as the Blues' closest shot at second-tier football for more than 20 years was built not on the road but well and truly at home, where John Ward's team were formidable.

A record string of 14 consecutive Brunton Park victories, and 17 overall, was enjoyed by one of the most positive Carlisle sides in recent memory: Kieren Westwood, Danny Livesey, Chris Lumsdon, Danny Graham, Joe Garner et al.

It was markedly different on the road, though. Only six away wins in the league were chalked up and it is impossible not to wonder where the club could have been had they not been so sick on their travels.

These woes set in during November, a time United were firmly in automatic promotion contention, Ward's side having defeated Leeds 3-1 in a barnstorming, full-house performance at home.

The following Tuesday, they drew 0-0 at Luton and come late January they had still not added another away win, eight trips having passed in that sequence before they tried to stop the rot at Oldham.

It is testament to their efforts at HQ that, in the winter transfer window, Ward - hired to replace Neil McDonald after the latter's shock August sacking - was nonetheless trying to bolster a serious promotion push. Left-back Evan Horwood joined from Sheffield United while there was a return for Cumbrian frontman Scott Dobie, after a spell with Nottingham Forest.

Scottish midfielder Grant Smith was in Ward's sights, as was Scunthorpe winger Cleveland Taylor. A protracted chase for the latter was eventually completed but not in time for Taylor to be included in the squad at Boundary Park.

While he joined his new team-mates on the bench, record signing Garner was retained despite interest from Bristol City - while it was a positive campaign in other departments at Carlisle, their youth team having just pulled off a sensational FA Youth Cup win against a Manchester United side that included Danny Welbeck, Federico Macheda, Danny Drinkwater and Corry Evans.

How Ward could have done with some of that magic in a similar part of the country, for their efforts against an Oldham side prepared by a certain John Sheridan were not that of a team with designs on the second tier.

United's manager tried a change of system in a bid to get Carlisle back into away-day life. Garner was fielded as a lone centre-forward, supported by attacking midfielder Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, with Jeff Smith and Dobie on the flanks and up-and-coming midfielder Luke Joyce joining Lumsdon in the centre.

It rarely, though, seemed a comfortable fit, and though United started competently enough on this Tuesday night, they failed to create early chances, and even the 11th-minute injury suffered by Latics striker Lee Hughes was an opportunity the Blues failed to take.

Instead they sloppily found a way to give Oldham a 21st-minute lead. At right-back, David Raven's attempted pass for Dobie was misdirected, and gobbled up by home winger Chris Taylor.

He jinked towards the box and eventually found midfielder Gary McDonald, whose first-time shot dipped over Westwood, via a deflection.

United's confidence was rocked by this and a weak Dobie shot was a slim offering in response. Mark Allott went close and Lumsdon was booked for a late challenge as the hosts remained on top.

Then, shortly before half-time, a second blow. As United struggled to clear a corner, Zigor Aranalde was robbed in the area by Deane Smalley. He fed Neal Eardley, and his pinpoint cross was headed home by McDonald.

Oldham could have had another even before the break, the Latics often targeting the struggling Aranalde on United's left. Ward sent on Simon Hackney and Danny Graham at the break - the latter trying to end a 15-game scoring drought - and later Danny Carlton, and some belated purpose from the visitors saw Garner and Dobie denied.

Oldham, though, remained the better side, their passing sharper and defender Stefan Stam marshalling them expertly. Taylor and McDonald went close to another while Westwood excelled to keep out Smalley.

A 2-0 defeat for League One's third-placed side against the 14th-best did not impress 874 travelling supporters. Some sang pointedly about the display, referencing the manager's struggling former club by asking: "Are you Cheltenham in disguise?"

The experienced boss did not attempt to dress up what he had seen. In post-match interviews he described Carlisle's display as "woeful", before going on to field questions about the future of Garner.

"There has been interest, but that's all I am saying," responded Ward to the Bristol City rumours. "And we are not interested. We want to keep Joe Garner here."

That Carlisle did - yet less than a month later, when they finally ended their away drought with victory at Crewe, the talisman striker went down with a cruciate knee ligament injury that ended his season - and, it turned out, his United career.

The Blues carried on without their ex-Blackburn man, yet rediscovered top form, winning eight out of nine games in February and March to get their promotion challenge purring again, one away display - a 3-0 win at Leyton Orient - a particular highlight.

Fans were starting to believe the Championship was indeed within reach after a 22-year absence. Come April, though, they hit another form barrier, losing at home to promotion rivals Nottingham Forest and mustering just one win from their last seven games.

That cost them the automatic place which at one stage had seemed likely. Instead it was the play-offs, and Leeds, who were beaten dramatically 2-1 at Elland Road before Jonny Howson broke Carlisle's hearts with a second-leg double.

It was an anti-climactic finish to United's highest-flying season in recent memory - and, in many ways, the end of an era of success, since that summer saw the departure of the brilliant Westwood to Coventry, while Garner was also sold to Nottingham Forest.

Off the field, it also brought Fred Story's regime to a close, the owner selling the Blues to Andrew Jenkins, John Nixon, Steven Pattison and David Allen, all but the latter remaining at the helm more than 10 years on - with Sheridan now their chosen boss.

Oldham: Crossley, Eardley, Hazell, Lomax, Stam, Allott, Taylor, McDonald, Jarrett (Kalala), Smalley, Hughes (Alessandra). Not used: Pogliacomi, Black, Woldenfen.

United: Westwood, Raven, Aranalde, Murphy, Livesey, Joyce (Hackney), Lumsdon, Smith (Graham), Dobie (Carlton), Bridge-Wilkinson, Garner. Not used: Howarth, Arnison.

Crowd: 4,701