Carlisle’s hoodoo against Harrogate continued on Tuesday evening as Paul Simpson’s team were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the first-round stage.
The newly-promoted Sky Bet League One outfit had failed to beat the League Two Sulphurites in seven previous attempts and saw that run extended by a 1-0 defeat in North Yorkshire.
Jack Armer should have given the visitors an 18th-minute lead, but he cleared the crossbar from just a couple of yards out.
And Carlisle were punished for that miss soon afterwards, former Middlesbrough forward Sam Folarin stroking a precise 25-yard finish into the bottom corner.
Harrogate remained in the ascendancy until half-time, though both Luke Plange and Jon Mellish could have levelled matters, but neither man could beat Mark Oxley in one-on-one situations.
Simpson made four changes at the break, though it was the hosts who threatened first after the resumption when George Thomson curled a free-kick just over the bar.
Town began to drop deeper and deeper as the half progressed and, although they appeared relatively untroubled, Oxley’s foul on Taylor Charters saw Carlisle awarded a 76th-minute penalty.
Harrogate-born Ryan Edmondson would, however, fluff his lines from the spot and the Sulphurites were able to see the game out.
