Harrogate Town 1 Carlisle United 0: Luke Armstrong's early goal sent Carlisle United out of the Papa John's Trophy at the third round stage.

The Harrogate frontman capitalised on a mistake by Blues keeper Mark Howard to shoot home in the seventh minute.

And that proved enough to take the Yorkshire side into the last eight and pick up £40,000 in the process after a game watched by just 928 fans.

Carlisle hit the woodwork through Morgan Feeney and passed up a number of other chances, while the home side also failed to make the most of decent opportunities.

But Simon Weaver's side had enough to see off Keith Millen's side as the Cumbrians exited the controversial competition on a night new signing Joel Senior made his debut as a second-half sub.

United boss Millen underlined his wish to take the competition seriously by naming an unchanged side.

He selected the same XI that had started Saturday's league win at Scunthorpe.

New signing Senior was on the bench, while Manny Mampala and Tristan Abrahams returned to the squad from Covid isolation.

Hosts Harrogate included two new loan signings in Josh Austerfield and Brahima Diarra, while ex-Blues striker Mark Beck started on the bench.

Harrogate applied plenty of early pressure with Austerfield having a shot charged down.

The hosts then toon a seventh-minute lead as Howard's kick was cut out and Armstrong went through to dink a shot over the keeper.

United came close to an immediate leveller when Feeney attacked a Callum Guy corner, but headed against the crossbar.

A further chance fell to Rod McDonald as he met an Armstrong clearance on the volley, but his well-struck effort was too straight and home No1 Mark Oxley saved.

Further Blues pressure saw Jon Mellish slot agonisingly across goal, while he almost forced something when Feeney headed a deep corner back into the danger zone.

At the other end, the dangerous Jack Diamond shot over the bar after cutting in from the right, and later Jack Muldoon tested Howard at his near post.

Diamond created another chance for himself with some superb skill, but fired his attempt high over the bar.

Carlisle then broke but Mellish, Sam Fishburn and Jordan Gibson couldn't make the most of a promising counter-attack - and then when Gibson picked out Brennan Dickenson behind the home defence, the wide man couldn't control the pass as it ran through to Oxley.

Millen replaced Fishburn with fit-again Joe Riley at the break, Gibson moving centrally behin Mellish - and United went close when Dickenson saw a shot beaten away by Oxley, before a cross was deflected against the home bar by a Harrogate defender.

The hosts came close again when United survived a Muldoon cross, with Armstorong's close-range effort blocked, while Riley lost his footing when trying to find a way through on the break for Carlisle.

Muldoon was next to go close, seeing a shot parried by Howard after latching onto a long ball, before Dickenson drew a flying save from Oxley from 25 yards and then Mellish, clean through after a ball over the top, couldn't beat the keeper.

Millen sent on Senior for his debut for the last 10 minutes as part of a triple change, Mampala and Abrahams also coming on, with Taylor Charters replacing Dickenson in the closing minutes.

But United couldn't carve out another chance to take the tie to penalties, and went out of the Trophy at the third round stage.

Harrogate: Oxley, Page, Falkingham, Sheron, Muldoon, Austerfield (Kerry 74), Hall, Diamond, Diarra (Beck 80), McArdle, Armstrong. Not used: Cracknell, Smith. 

Goal: Armstrong 7. 

Booked: Diarra. 

United: Howard, Mellor (Mampala 80), Armer, McDonald, Feeney, Guy (Senior 80), Whelan, Dickenson (Charters 86), Gibson, Mellish (Abrahams 80), Fishburn (Riley 46). Not used: Norman, Devine. 

Booked: Dickenson. 

Ref: David Rock. 

Crowd: 928 (142 Carlisle fans)