Crawley Town 2 Carlisle United 1: Was this a 696-mile round trip to learn Carlisle United are…average? Is this the conclusion we are going to have to take with us through a 2021/22 season which is, so far, frustratingly right down the middle?

Twelfth after seven games lends that early verdict. United have so far proved capable of winning games narrowly, losing games narrowly, drawing games and assembling, too often than ideal, half-performances.

It’s not enough to light fires in the bellies of supporters. Those who ventured all the way to Sussex were left dismayed by an empty first-half display, uplifted by an eventual fightback but deflated again by Crawley’s late winner.

In United’s offerings so far you spot some good things but they are always in a three-legged race with the bad aspects. They have not yet been able to tip things in the right direction for long enough.

This is the challenge, if they want to make this season one that can engage fans rather than leave them apathetic or disillusioned. The 30 or so good minutes they produced at the People’s Pension Stadium is not enough time to spend looking like a unit that can make things happen.

Twice now, too, Chris Beech has delved into plenty of his substitutes early in a second half. That is basic evidence the initial XI isn’t operating properly, whether in overall strategy, blend or in individual aspects.

The question of whether Beech should be selecting the team that’s finishing matches better was met with the answer that United had to be mindful of keeping taller players on the pitch to face Crawley’s set-pieces.

Yet even Carlisle’s head coach accepted the irony of that when Tom Nichols, not a player known for aerial muscle, found himself free to clip home a corner: a wretched defensive moment in a half of no attacking panache.

United have now started badly against Hartlepool, Salford and Crawley in succession. What Beech expects to be reliable, structured and dangerous is not proving that way. Hindsight makes experts of us all but surely different ideas are needed; a different front three, two or however many, and a more telling footballing approach.

Beech also pinpointed United’s full-back areas as deficient against John Yems’ Crawley. It is the case that Jack Armer had one of his lesser days in his so far bright Blues career. Carlisle, though, were also painfully short of invention and this left them adrift against a home side who, with respect, were nothing special either.

Nichols was an exception, his running off the shoulder an early threat, his ideas with the ball a notch above most others on the pitch. United’s attack, led by Tristan Abrahams with Lewis Alessandra recalled in support, seldom looked like holding the ball reliably or being served with it usefully, and only once in the first half – when Kelvin Mellor crossed well and Brennan Dickenson failed to convert – did they look genuinely creative.

There was otherwise a good deal of scrappy, low-grade stuff from both. Carlisle offered no firepower but were at least defending reasonably until Will Ferry’s floated corner found Nichols away from Armer to volley home. It was a goal the game scarcely deserved, yet the hosts had the opener in a game for the first time this season, and Nichols had his first goal since March.

United had too often fed Joel Lynch’s powerful heading attributes in the Crawley defence and failed to motor onto the second balls that resulted. They needed better width, better movement, better ball-playing on the floor; better everything. After the break Callum Guy shot wide, and when that triple change followed a risky, yellow-carded high Armer challenge (he was one of the trio hooked), Carlisle finally offered potential.

Jordan Gibson, positive in intent, drove down the right and enabled Mellor to cross for Alessandra to head against the post. Mellor, switching from right to left, then screwed a good chance wide but a short while later Gibson ran, twisted and dinked Jon Mellish through and the midfielder shot high past Glenn Morris with merry force.

Carlisle, though, did not capitalise, were not defiant enough high enough, and found themselves too deep when Crawley came back. Sub Kwesi Appiah went close twice, the Blues were pinned by another cross, and when it emerged outside the box, Nick Tsaroulla creamed it past Magnus Norman.

Good strike, good goal – but the Blues had failed to shut down the circumstances where it could happen, and until they learn to seize a game much sooner they’ll be on the wrong side of these risks as often as the right; and on that main line to mediocrity.