Morecambe 0 Carlisle United 4: Defender Aaron Hayden scored twice as Carlisle United's reserves eased to a comfortable win at Morecambe.

Fit-again Stefan Scougall and Newcastle loan striker Elias Sorensen were also on target in the Central League Cup fixture.

United, with coach Nathan Rooney and academy manager Eric Kinder in charge of the side, did most of the damage in the first half.

Hayden opened the scoring and, after Scougall rifled United's second, the ex-Wolves man added another.

Sorensen then got on the scoresheet after the break as Carlisle, with caretaker manager Gavin Skelton watching from the stand, enjoyed a successful start to the competition.

Scougall successfully completed an hour on his return from injury before being substituted.

The 26-year-old midfielder is hoping to force his way back into first-team contention after a stop-start spell.

United set all the attacking pace in the opening stages at the Globe Arena, with Sorensen denied by keeper Barry Roche before the Cumbrians took the lead on 14 minutes.

It was Hayden with the opener, the defender running unmarked onto Jamie Armstrong's inswinging free-kick and shooting first time past the stranded Roche.

United, with Sorensen the central striker in a 4-3-3 system, continued to press Morecambe with Lewis Bell on the left of the attack a regular danger.

The youth team winger robbed Ibrahim Bakare and fed Sorensen who curled over from a good position.

At the other end, ex-Carlisle striker Shaun Miller shot over the bar but United were quickly back on the front foot.

And on 22 minutes they doubled their lead, fit-again Scougall scoring with a thumping left-footed finish from outside the box after an unselfish lay-off from Armstrong.

Left-back Charlie Birch almost forced a third with a dangerous cross, while Scougall was looking bright as he broke through midfield.

Hayden then doubled his account on 33 minutes, the defender’s initial header from an Armstrong corner blocked on the line by Jordan Cranston, but Hayden pouncing to shoot low past Roche after the hosts struggled to clear.

Stewart Drummond’s Morecambe side came into things late in the first half and should have levelled when Miller crossed from the left, but Carlos Mendes-Gomes shot over from five yards.

Chances were more scarce after the break, though Blues keeper Louis Gray pulled off a fine save to keep out Miller’s close-range header before, at the other end, Roche denied Sorensen.

Morecambe came closest to the next goal on 62 minutes when A-Jay Leitch-Smith’s low shot deflected against the post.

That came after Scougall had been substituted, the midfielder given 60 minutes on his return to action before Carlisle replaced him with Adam Walton.

Mendes-Gomes shot wide for the Shrimps after a Hayden error and after Sorensen saw another effort blocked after linking with Taylor Charters, the striker finally got on the scoresheet, released down the left and cutting inside against Bakare before drilling his shot across Roche on 76 minutes.

Hayden was on hand to prevent Miller reaching a Michael Howard cross late on, and then the Blues man came close to his hat-trick, heading a Birch corner just over the bar.

United will also face Wigan, Blackpool and Fleetwood in the Central League Cup over the next two months.

Morecambe: Roche, Buxton, Cranston, Lynch, Brownsword, Bakare, Mendes, Jayne, Miller, Leitch-Smith (Hawley 67), Ellison (Howard 67). Not used: O’Brien, Moore, Cannon Noren.

United: Gray, Elliott, Birch, Hayden, Knight-Percival, Lightfoot (Wilson 81), Charters, Lightfoot, Scougall (Walton 60), Armstrong (Barnes 74), Bell, Sorensen. Not used: Robinson.

Ref: Abid Hussain