Carlisle United 2 AFC Wimbledon 1: Callum Guy's first Blues goal and a late Kristian Dennis header secured victory for Paul Simpson's side at Brunton Park.

Midfielder Guy ended a 96-game run without scoring for the Cumbrians as he fired them into a first-half lead in some style.

Ayoub Assal levelled for the visitors on 58 minutes - but Dennis headed his seventh goal in nine games on 81 minutes to clinch the points.

It maintained Carlisle's unbeaten home league start in front of 5,038 fans on a day Brunton Park also paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

With players and staff wearing black armbands, there was a minute's silence after the teams had taken to the pitch - followed by a rendition of the National Anthem.

The Blues then got the game under way with the same XI and subs that Simpson had selected for Tuesday night's 0-0 draw at Mansfield Town.

Visitors Wimbledon made two changes, with George Marsh and Jack Currie coming in for Harry Pell and Nathan Young-Coombes.

Carlisle made an early break through Omari Patrick with Lee Brown having to put a dangerous low cross behind.

News and Star: Callum Guy fires home in the 45th minute (photo: Ben Holmes)Callum Guy fires home in the 45th minute (photo: Ben Holmes) (Image: Ben Holmes)

At the other end, Ethan Chislett saw a cross go unrewarded after teaming up with Jack Currie on the left.

Few real chances or moments of inspiration followed in either half, with both sides patient on the ball at the back but seldom able to make it stick upfield.

Jack Currie saw a tame shot go wide for Wimbledon before Owen Moxon's 25-yard attempt for United was comfortably saved by Nikola Tzanev.

Moxon tried and failed to play Dennis in from a useful position, while a later spate of pressure in the Dons box failed to produce a clear chance.

A better opportunity came when Jack Armer slotted Jordan Gibson behind the away defence, but he was unable to finish before a challenge came in.

A clever Dennis cross over the defence then found Patrick, but the frontman couldn't get it past keeper Tzanev.

That came towards the end of a ten-minute spell of Blues pressure, after which George Marsh hooked a Currie cross wide for Johnnie Jackson's men.

But then United went down the other end and took the lead in great style.

Guy was involved in the build-up, linking with Fin Back - and when the ball was worked back in from the right, the midfielder found space and sent a beautiful left-footed shot past Tzanev and into the left of the net from outside the box.

It was his first goal in 146 Football League games - and only his second in first-team football, his other coming in September 2018 for Blackpool against Macclesfield Town in the Papa John's Trophy.

News and Star: Kristian Dennis heads the winner (photo: Barbara Abbott)Kristian Dennis heads the winner (photo: Barbara Abbott) (Image: Ben Holmes)

Patrick had a chance to make it two early in the second half as he cut past Ryley Towler, but his low shot was saved at the near post.

Carlisle were then convinced they should have had a penalty for handball as they closed Wimbledon down on the left, but ref Andy Haines only signalled for a corner despite strong appeals.

From the resulting set-piece, Paul Huntington met Moxon's delivery but headed wide - and, moments later, another Armer delivery just evaded the diving Back.

Gibson had a further shot blocked and Carlisle appeared in command - but, after a double change by Wimbledon, the visitors suddenly hit back.

The Blues failed to deal with a ball down the middle, as Davison helped on Tzanev's clearance and Assal was allowed to run beyond the home defence to shoot past a furious Tomas Holy.

It was an equaliser out of nothing and gave the Dons renewed confidence while, at the other end, Patrick saw a well-struck 30-yard shot saved by Tzanev.

Wimbledon's subs improved their play as United struggled to get a foothold again, Paris Maghoma spinning on the edge of the box and shooting wide, and Holy having to save a Harry Pell free-kick after Guy was penalised.

But a tactical change by Simpson, sending Mellish forward and Patrick and Gibson spreading to the left and right respectively, got Carlisle back on the front foot.

And after Patrick had been denied, he was at the heart of the Blues' winner.

News and Star: Kristian Dennis high-fives a ball boy after the winner (photo: Ben Holmes)Kristian Dennis high-fives a ball boy after the winner (photo: Ben Holmes) (Image: Ben Holmes)

He ran at sub Paul Osew and, when his cross was headed on by Armer, Dennis was in far-post space to head clinically past Tzanev.

Carlisle could have forced a third but Guy saw a shot blocked when a Moxon cross was cleared his way.

And United survived a late scare when Assal's 18-yard effort for the Dons curled just over the bar.

They also survived attempted late Wimbledon pressure, involving 6ft 7in sub Kyle Hudlin, in seven added minutes as they got the victory over the line, the Blues remaining 13th in the table.

United: Holy, Feeney, Huntington, Mellish, Back, Armer, Guy, Moxon, Gibson, Patrick, Dennis. Not used: Kelly, Hilton, Charters, Whelan, Harris, Stretton, Idehen.

Goals: Guy 45, Dennis 81.

Booked: Mellish, Armer.

Wimbledon: Tzanev, Towler (Osew 57), Pearce, Brown, Maghoma, Gunter, Currie, Marsh, Assal, Chislett (Pell 57), Davison (Hudlin 86). Not used: Jaaskelainen, Nightingale, Bartley, Bendle.

Goal: Assal 59.

Booked: Towler, Brown, Pell, Assal.

Ref: Andy Haines.

Crowd: 5,038 (164 Wimbledon fans).