Carlisle United 2 Salford City 1: There will be games this season settled by moments of craft, ripples of subtlety; tactical tweaks and all the other things that sometimes trump hard effort and red meat.

For all other enquiries, contact Jon Mellish.

He’s back: that strong-running, goal-poaching, matchwinning star of last autumn. For all Salford’s wealth and the nimble invention they brought here, they had no answer to the young midfielder who quite simply forced Carlisle into a winning position.

This was a game waiting to be won by the expression of personality. United’s had been smothered to a large degree by Salford in the first 45 minutes.

Then Mellish barged open the gate. His honest industry changed the direction, his straightforward, ceaseless endeavour the defining quality. If anyone deserved to fire the deciding goal, it was the 23-year-old.

It felt like a throwback to the best weeks of United’s and Mellish’s 2020/21, as did Chris Beech’s post-match assessment. “A lot of players these days come through academies and can all Cruyff-turn and do certain things, but Jon’s biggest attribute is the fact he’s a north east lad with a fantastic outlook,” the head coach said. “He’s as honest as they come.”

For the games when Mellish’s direct traits do not supply what United need, there are days like this when the converted defender's heart and energy simply spook opponents. Carlisle did improve tactically in the second half, Jordan Gibson’s arrival for Zach Clough also helping deliver a performance of greater substance, but it is fair to say Mellish had something Salford, even with their inflated spending power, did not.

This was certainly an outcome United would have bargained hard for after the week just passed: when another young player was sold before the transfer deadline and accusations of an ambition shortfall came back their way.

Beating one of the better-remunerated clubs at their level was a good first step on from that much-debated spell. There were also strong performances from the likes of Brennan Dickenson, the other goalscorer, and Kelvin Mellor, whose experience in George Tanner’s stead steered him through a sound debut and helped United’s defence accommodate Salford’s late thrusts.

Carlisle must build on this, consolidate a useful little climb to eighth, make their second-half display the standard. Before then it was shaping up to be another afternoon of furrowed brows, even after Dickenson had volleyed them into an eighth minute lead after a Joe Riley throw.

United were back in a more recognisable shape after the 5-3-2 failings at Hartlepool, but increasingly struggled to restrain Salford, whose own front three – Conor McAleny, Ian Henderson and Josh Morris – were bright. It did not take them long to stretch Carlisle in a spell which required Mellor to deny Morris at the near post, and Magnus Norman to superbly keep out Matty Lund’s header.

Norman stepped up again to thwart McAleny, having scuffed a kick to the Salford man, and Carlisle’s forward momentum stuttered to an aerial, unimaginative halt, Zach Clough struggling to win balls dropping from a height, his one sight of goal snipped by an offside flag.

Salford’s equaliser was not pretty on the eye – a low bobbler from Morris – but it was not ill-deserved. United needed to shut off wide and central spaces and use the ball better.

Thankfully they did. After a spell of further Salford dominance early in the second half, Beech was proactive in replacing Clough with Gibson as Carlisle occupied a wider 4-3-3. They began counter-attacking with better cohesion, Gibson sending over a couple of useful crosses from the right and Dickenson, charging down the left, delivering several more which deserved better attention.

Then, amid this fresh momentum, there was Mellish, running and pushing and pressing and, on the hour, stretching for a Callum Guy cross which had been nudged on by Rod McDonald and Tristan Abrahams and stabbing it past Zach Jeacock from close range. Carlisle had located a weak spot at the heart of Salford’s defence, and they almost found it again when Gibson nearly set up Jack Armer and sub Lewis Alessandra was involved in a number of scampering raids.

At the other end, things were secure, even when Salford opted for the aerial Plan B of Tom Elliott - and there was something especially reassuring late on when Mellor, who had had an assured game, anticipated a searching diagonal and nodded it deftly back to Norman: a soothing touch to end a raw and frantic week.