Aldershot Town fell to a 2-0 defeat at Carlisle United in the National League after second-half goals from Regan Linney and Bevis Mugabi secured the three points for the hosts at Brunton Park.

There was an early chance for the home side when Junior Luamba found himself in space on the right-hand side of the Shots' box in the second minute, but Charlie Penman did well to throw his body on the line and make a crucial block.

The majority of the game in the opening stages was played in midfield with neither team getting much of a look at goal. Stephen Wearne broke towards Aldershot’s goal in the 16th minute after a rare misplaced pass by Dejan Tetek, but Jed Meerholz did brilliantly to jockey the Carlisle midfielder and get enough of a block on his shot to make a comfortable save for Shots keeper Marcus Dewhurst.

Linney broke into the box from the left wing in the 25th minute and his curling effort was superbly stopped by Dewhurst.

Carlisle broke forward from a goal kick and Dewhurst was on form again to deny Linney with another fine stop with his feet. From the following corner, the ball fell to Linney and after working space to shoot, he was denied by Dewhurst's foot again.

Three minutes later, the frame of the goal denied the Shots from taking the lead. Twisting and turning on the left-hand side of the Carlisle box, Josh Barrett worked room to deliver a cross and it was met by the head of Ryan Hill whose looping header beat Carlisle keeper Gabe Breeze but not the crossbar. The rebound fell to Kwame Thomas but he saw his close-range strike blocked.

It took less than two minutes for the home side to open the scoring after the break. Linney found himself able to run at Aldershot’s goal in space down the left and kept his composure to slot it past Dewhurst.

A few minutes later Carlisle broke and found space down their left wing again, but Cameron Harper blasted the ball high and wide.

Carlisle were finding joy on the counter and Luamba had a good opportunity, but Dewhurst did well to get out quickly and turn it behind.

As the game reached the hour mark, Aldershot had two brilliant opportunities to get level. Firstly, Barrett's low cross found Tristan Abrahams and though his clever backheel flick was blocked, it fell straight back to him and shooting on the turn, he was denied by an excellent block.

A few minutes later, Abrahams' replacement Hady Ghandour broke down the right and his low cross found Hill at the back post after Thomas kept the defence in the middle busy, but Hill was denied by a superb save from Breeze.

With the Shots chasing a route back into the game, the affair was opening up and chances were coming thick and fast. In the 65th minute, Luke Armstrong's deflected effort looked to be looping in to the far corner, but at full stretch, Penman was on hand to hook it clear.

Carlisle doubled their lead in the 69th minute. Fresh off the bench, Harvey MacAdam played a ball across the edge of the box that found Mugabi and his first-time strike found the bottom corner.