Mansfield Town 1 Carlisle United 1: If we were to look really hard for an omen, a sign that Carlisle are inching gradually back towards better things, we might study Jordan Bowery's injury-time shot which, for a split-second, had Mansfield Town bottoms rising from seats.

It whipped just wide of the right-hand post. Nigel Clough threw up his arms, and a short while later the final whistle went.

If you believe in fate as a Blues supporter you can probably picture that shot sailing directly into the top corner of the net in one of those spells when Chris Beech's side are particularly down on their luck.

At Colchester a couple of weeks ago, maybe, it flies in. At Mansfield, though, it did not, and so the hope has to be that this draw - which is what United were worth, overall - suggests, in its own strange way, that Carlisle are indeed coming through the worst of their recent run, that they are more competitive again, less self-harming.

A better side gets better breaks, in other words. It is not as if United left you purring about their play at the One Call Stadium, but they might be improving incrementally, painstakingly building a small unbeaten run (three games now) which certainly improves the tone after eight without a win.

It was frustrating to see Carlisle lose a lead wih 10 minutes to go, but the truth is that both teams got what they deserved from a high-energy battle on a poor pitch which was often low on last-third class. The Blues appeared to have edged their way towards another extremely welcome victory thanks to a lethal finish from Offrande Zanzala: a striker suddenly in irrepressible form.

United, though, were never dominant leaders, and Stephen McLaughlin’s free-kick brought Clough’s side on terms after a challenge from Callum Guy which Carlisle were convinced was fair.

McLaughlin's shot went low past Magnus Norman, ending what until then had been an increasingly defiant league debut from the goalkeeper. Promoted because of injury to Paul Farman, the summer signing made a couple of outstanding saves in the second half before, under pressure, he could not hold onto a cross near the front of United's box, ref Trevor Kettle then awarding the set-piece that got them level.

Carlisle before and after that blow were competitive without bringing much attacking panache to proceedings. Zanzala put all of himself into the physical contest against Clough's centre-halves, getting little change from Kettle, but United did not consistently create once they had gone beyond an opening 10-minute period when they could easily have scored twice.

In a game whose kick-off was delayed by half-an-hour as some players got held up en route – the result of a serious accident on the M62 (in a badly-judged tweet they wisely deleted, Mansfield said they “reluctantly” accepted the decision to push the start back) - Carlisle started positively, punching out early chances.

The first came when Lewis Alessandra laid a long Norman kick inside to Jon Mellish, but the midfielder’s pass to the right was poor. Another arrived on eight minutes when Callum Guy fed Brennan Dickenson’s driving run, Mellish picking up the resulting tackle and flashing the ball across goal. 

A third raid could have brought a goal when Jack Armer’s cross reached Zanzala, but Aidan Stone saved his under-hit shot. From the cleared corner, Armer dinked it back in and Rhys Bennett found himself onside and in acres: the best chance of the lot, only for the defender to miscontrol at close range.

It proved United’s best spell of a half Mansfield then grew into, their attacking and wide runners forcing Carlisle back and into some watchful defending. Jamie Reid was too swift for them on one occasion but Norman’s first proper save was secure. A while later, a deceptive corner found Mal Benning in space, but his low delivery was cleared.

Carlisle struggled to thread their attacks together, while Dickenson went central to engage Mansfield midfielder McLaughlin. The pair exchanged free-kicks and United were then glad to survive a Jason Law chance after Reid got behind the Blues to the left. 

There were the usual running exchanges with Kettle, who seldom referees to all parties' satisfaction. He audibly advised captain Guy to tone down the “yap yap yap” at one stage, but Carlisle needed to show more bite in Mansfield’s half.

They began the second half with a few front-foot opportunities, but again failed to make the most of them, Dickenson robbing McLaughlin but his pass striking Alessandra’s heel, a series of corners bringing nothing, and United then grateful to Norman who produced a strong save when Law broke thrugh their back line.

Eventually, though, Carlisle did find the devil to go with their effort, and credit can go to both maker and taker for the way they slipped into the lead. Mellish’s energy and pressing set up the chance, which he took on himself, and when his shot spun off a defender, Zanzala’s anticipation was sound and his high finish superb. 

This was now an excellent position for Beech’s side to protect, yet they did so with difficulty. Bowery’s hold-up play served Harry Charsley with a great chance which he sent over the bar, and then Norman reached back to tip a James Perch volley against the bar.

It was brilliant work from the keeper, but Carlisle could not find a way to take a firmer hold on the game, and when Kettle penalised Guy, nor could they get in the way of McLaughlin’s low, driven free-kick.

Beech waited until the 86th minute to make a change (Ethan Walker for Alessandra) but it was too late to reignite something which, in truth, had only just been flickering in any case. Bowery's final attempt whistled wide, and while you still don't know quite where this Carlisle season is going to go next, there is probably something to be said for staying intact - just about - away from home, when so much of the difficult recent past had not reached par like this.