It became something of a bugbear of Greg Abbott’s time in charge of Carlisle United that he never managed to win three league games in a row.

That was certainly true of his near five-year permanent reign, from 2008 to 2013 – but not of his caretaker time.

Indeed, when Abbott first took the temporary, reins after Neil McDonald’s shock sacking at the start of the 2007/8 campaign, the coach had a much more charmed life in the dugout.

The former assistant boss dispatched Oldham, Huddersfield and Cheltenham in succession and was looking a good bet for the full-time post by the time Tranmere visited Brunton Park.

Abbott had picked up a side featuring stars in a number of positions: the goalkeeping class of Keiren Westwood, the defensive abilities of Peter Murphy and Danny Livesey, midfield craft from Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and, up front, Danny Graham and Joe Garner.

The latter had joined from Blackburn in a record deal that summer and was quickly into the team – unlike, surprisingly, midfield mainstay Chris Lumsdon, left out of the squad by McDonald on the opening day. He was a sub against Tranmere, as was a new face, Chelsea loanee Harry Worley, hooked after a nightmare first half against John Ward’s Cheltenham the previous weekend.

Paul Arnison, his replacement in defence, started against the Wirral side and United had in their sights a fourth straight win and a fourth consecutive clean sheet. The fact they achieved neither on a September afternoon was the first blot on Abbott’s bid to get the job. Carlisle were at that point the most miserly team in the country but it was at the other end where new shortcomings were on display.

It did not seem as though it would be a sterile afternoon when United started on the front foot. The second minute saw Garner hold off a posse of defenders and then superbly play in Graham.

He rounded keeper Danny Coyne, but was forced wide, allowing visiting defender Ian Goodison to clear the shot.

For Carlisle, it was as good as things got, for Tranmere then settled into their style and started making inroads. Chris Shuker gave Zigor Aranalde plenty of attention down United’s left while Paul McLaren and Steve Jennings showed poise in midfield.

Ronnie Moore’s side lost Calvin Zola to a 15th-minute injury but this inadvertently helped them on their way, since it was Zola’s replacement who made the crucial difference. Craig Curran would become a familiar figure to United fans in later seasons but here he was an 18-year-old striker with a point to prove. He immediately provided a new, energetic threat which, late in the first half, told.

Initially Curran forced a smart save from Westwood, Robbie Stockdale also testing the Blues keeper, but on 42 minutes there could be no such heroics from United’s No1. The decisive move began with a United corner which Tranmere swiftly turned into a counter-attack. Then came a disastrous slip by Arnison which allowed Shuker room to cross. Curran met it with a crashing finish.

Tranmere’s lead was deserved yet it remained alarming that Carlisle could not muster a response. Garner was not enjoying one of his better days while Bridge-Wilkinson probed around the box without creating anything clinical.

Simon Hackney livened things up from the bench, while for Tranmere Curran ran himself so hard that he had to be replaced himself, exhausted, 11 minutes from time, even though Moore did not turn to another young prospect in the Wirral ranks: a 20-year-old Mike Jones.

After Coyne thwarted another Carlisle sub, Danny Carlton, United were denied a penalty when Antony Kay felled Hackney. This did not please United’s fans but nor could anyone see the eventual 1-0 defeat as any great injustice.

Abbott, afterwards, agreed, describing ref Eddie Ilderton’s display as “rubbish” but also conceding his side had been short. He also urged fans not to be hard on Arnison for his fatal slip. “It’s the other end of the field I’m more concerned about,” he said.

Another defeat followed at Swansea and though Abbott then collected five points from the next three games, owner Fred Story looked elsewhere for McDonald’s successor, luring Cheltenham’s Ward to Cumbria in October. Remarkably, the Tranmere game was the last home defeat Carlisle suffered in the league until April, their Brunton Park form fuelling a promotion push which looked set to deliver Championship football until a late falter and then play-off heartbreak against Leeds.

Abbott, meanwhile, finally got his permanent go in the hotseat the following campaign – and in the summer of 2010 made out-of-contract Curran a United player. The striker went on to score eight goals in 70 Blues appearances.

United: Westwood, Arnison, Aranalde, Livesey, Raven, J Smith (Hackney), Bridge-Wilkinson (Lumsdon), Thirlwell, Gall (Carlton), Garner, Graham. Not used: Howarth, Worley.

Tranmere: Coyne, Goodison, Chorley, Stockdale (Kay), Sherriff, Jennings, McLaren, Shuker, Zola (Curran, Tremarco), Greenacre, Davies. Not used: Achterberg, Jones.

Crowd: 6,556.