There was a sense of bright new beginnings at Carlisle United at least for one individual when the Cumbrians faced Mansfield Town early in the 1986/7 season.

While this was not a promising time for the Blues in general, there was, in 18-year-old Mark Patterson, a little genuine hope.

The YTS recruit, from Prudhoe, had been offered a chance by Carlisle at a time he was considering another job after leaving school. His impressive showings led to a step up to the first team for a home clash with the Stags in a spell when United needed all the help they could get.

The previous campaign had seen a bitter relegation from Division Two as the good times faded swiftly. Bob Stokoe’s third and final spell as manager had ended, with Carlisle then handing the reins to Manchester United goalkeeping legend Harry Gregg.

The Blues plundered six goals in their first three unbeaten games in August 1986 but this was a false dawn. A pair of defeats followed and their declining fortunes continued in front of just 2,817 supporters against Mansfield on an underwhelming September afternoon.

By that stage Carlisle had gone four games without finding the net in league and cup. Patterson’s debut came in midfield, where the youngster produced a hard-working display and, initially, things started to look brighter for Gregg’s patched-up side.

Indeed, they ended their recent drought inside 10 minutes. A short corner led to a cross from Mick Halsall which broke, via a Keith Cassells clearance, to John Cooke. He met it on the volley and cracked home a fine finish from 16 yards.

Carlisle were briefly lifted by the opening goal and applied further pressure. This was not, though, a vintage season of Blues scoring and the fact they came up short was of a piece with everything that followed, both during this game and in the months to come.

Duly they allowed Ian Greaves’ visitors back into the contest. The equaliser was a result of Carlisle authoring their own downfall and began when Halsall’s headed attempt to find Cooke was picked up by Mansfield’s Ian Stringfellow.

He made down the left and crossed for dangerman Cassells to hit the post. Neville Chamberlain pounced and was in no mood for appeasement as he netted the rebound.

Mansfield had exposed a weakness in United which was most apparent when the Blues seemed set to attack. From there the visitors were the more direct and dangerous team and went after this vulnerability time and again.

Carlisle’s own attacking endeavours were now hopeful rather than confident. Cooke was performing well in midfield but without great support while, up front, the experienced Malcolm Poskett was starved of proper service.

Gregg’s side threatened sporadically. Shortly after Mansfield’s leveller, Paul Baker headed narrowly wide, and in the second half, away keeper Kevin Hitchcock produced a fine save to deny Poskett.

Then, 20 minutes from time, Baker passed up the Blues’ best late chance, shooting wide when a free-kick looped off Patterson’s head and into his path.

Before and after these moments there was plenty of frustration for the sub-3,000 crowd – and a gloomy inevitability about Mansfield’s late winner.

United had struggled to cope with striker Cassells all game and predictably he was involved in the decisive, 80th-minute moment. The home defence failed to track his run as he collected a ball that had drifted across the box. Cassells then turned at the byline and when he crossed, Chamberlain was there to head in his second of the game.

The 2-1 defeat did little to raise spirits, leaving United fourth bottom in Division Three. Their manager was also left facing a selection crisis as a sickness bug swept the squad.

After the Mansfield reverse, Gregg said the illness had affected several members of his team against the Stags. He also argued that Carlisle had not played badly, even if they lacked an enforcer. “We could do with a player prepared to shout a bit to keep the rest going,” Gregg said.

There was little to shout about, sadly, as the rest of 1986/7 unfolded. United limped through it with only 39 goals from 46 league games, a record low for the club, and a second successive relegation in third bottom place saw Gregg survive only until the autumn of 1987, when he was replaced by Clive Middlemass.

A series of first-team appearances by the promising Patterson also spelled the end of his Blues career at a similar time, but with a much more positive outcome, as he was snapped up by Derby.

United: Endersby, Haigh, Wright, Baker, McCartney, Cooke, Bishop, Halsall, Worrall, Poskett, Patterson. Sub: Gorman.

Mansfield: Hitchcock, Graham, Foster, Pollard, Logan, Lowery, Kent, Kearney, Chamberlain, Cassells, Stringfellow. Sub: McKernon.

Crowd: 2,817.