Carlisle United 1 Fleetwood Town 3: Gime Toure opened the scoring and was later sent off as Carlisle United went down to defeat to Fleetwood in their first competitive game of the new season.

The EFL Trophy group game - Brunton Park's first fixture for nearly six months - proved an eventuful night for new signing Toure.

He shot United ahead on 36 minutes, before League One side Fleetwood hit back through Callum Camps and a Harvey Saunders double.

Toure was then shown a straight red card by ref Ben Speedie for apparently kicking out shortly before full-time, as Carlisle went down to defeat in the behind closed doors contest.

Both sides enjoyed chances in the first half of Brunton Park's first competitive game since March.

James Hill put an early free header over the bar for Joey Barton's visitors before Danny Devine - one of seven full debutants - saw an effort deflected wide for the Blues.

Camps then should have scored after keeper Paul Farman parried a Josh Morris into his path, but could only turn the ball wide.

United broke rapidly and Toure went clean through after the Blues had worked a Fleetwood corner back upfield, but visiting keeper Joel Coleman parried his shot and then leapt to tip over Gavin Reilly's follow-up.

Chris Beech's new-look Carlisle improved around the middle point of the half with Joe Riley also having an attempt blocked.

Fleetwood caused problems down the right but Saunders twice passed up good chances and Andrew sent an effort over the bar from distance.

Carlisle then struck after Coleman tipped over a deflected Nick Anderton shot, the resulting corner from the right eventually finding its way to Toure to turn the ball over the line at the back post.

Camps, though, soon levelled, the midfielder arriving to stroke the ball home after Danny Andrew had found acres of space down the Fleetwood left.

Dean Furman came on at half-time for his Blues debut, the South Africa man replacing Devine, and Carlisle initially went in search of a second with Riley curling a free-kick over the bar and Lewis Alessandra rattling the stanchion from an angle.

The visitors, though, struck on 57 minutes when a deep corner from the left cleared everyone in the middle and was met by Saunders, who was unmarked as he stooped to bury a diving header.

The Fleetwood man then increased their lead in the 68th minute when he attacked a cross from the left and powered a header past Farman.

Saunders almost grabbed a third at the back post as the visitors asserted their superiority, with a deflection denying Toure a consolation for Carlisle after the lively French forward did well to get through the defence.

The United man's 90th-minute dismissal, as he appeared to frustratedly kick out and catch an opposition player, then ended the game on a sour note for the Cumbrians.

Toure's three-match suspension will be confined to EFL Trophy games.

Carlisle were without the sidelined Brennan Dickenson, Magnus Norman, Jack Armer and Omari Patrick for the behind-closed-doors game, while Joshua Kayode was also out with a knee injury suffered in trainig.

Callum Guy, meanwhile, served a suspension.

United: Farman, Tanner, McDonald, Hayden, Anderton, Devine (Furman 46), Riley, Mellish, Toure, Alessandra, Reilly. Not used: Dewhurst, Hunt, Charters, Birch, Armstrong, Bell.

Fleetwood: Coleman, Andrew, Whelan (Matete 70), Burns, Camps (Johnston 76), J Morris, Coutts, Saunders, Garner (Evans 70), Holgate, Hill. Not used: Cairns, Baggley, Rydel, S Morris.