Forest Green Rovers took a point on the long trip back home from Carlisle United after seeing out the final 20 minutes with 10 men.

After a positive second half, James Morton picked up a second yellow card on the 70 minute mark after a sliding challenge in the middle of the park.

For the first time this season, manager Mark Cooper had the luxury to name an unchanged side from the one that beat Colchester United 1-0 at The New Lawn on Saturday.

Liam Shephard, continuing his return from injury, started on the bench again, while Aaron Collins, also on the comeback trail from a knock travelled to Cumbria but didn’t make the squad.

The combination that handed Rovers their winner on Saturday almost forged an opening after just three minutes as James Morton’s delightful searching pass picked out Kyle Taylor in the area, his first touch was a good one, but the linesman’s flag stopped him in his tracks.

Just one minute later the hosts had their first opening as Jack Bridge made good headway down the left before finding Olufela Olomola on the edge of the box, but he couldn’t find a way past Farrend Rawson who sprung into action to make a crucial block.

Taylor was involved once more after six minutes, showing his raw talent to wriggle between three United players before seeing a deflected effort drop wide.

The best of the first half hour fell the way of the hosts as Nathan Thomas galloped away down the right before cutting across Kitching and prodding an effort goalwards, his namesake was equal to the effort though, the Rovers stopper shooting out a leg to parry the ball behind.

It took a fine save from Carlisle’s goalkeeper to keep the scores level with 20 minutes on the clock, as Jack Aitchison stepped inside, found a yard, and forced Adam Collin to hurl himself low to his right to palm away the angled effort from 10 yards.

Carlisle went close again 10 minutes from the break as Olomola’s ball to the back post was turned narrowly wide of the upright by the right boot of Mohammed Sagaf.

The final five minutes of the half was all Rovers, a sustained spell of pressure seeing Joseph Mills skim a powerful cross in front of goal before Collin was able to redirect the ball away from an eagerly waiting Matty Stevens.

Aitchison, ever the threat, tested Collin with the last action of the half, but the keeper was equal to the low drive and palmed away.

After a slow and patient start to the second half, it was the visitors who created the first opening.

A clever move saw Udoka Godwin-Malife fed the ball on the right, but his cross was a little behind the bodies in the box and Taylor was crowded out.

Collin was called into action yet again with the hour mark fast approaching, diving to his left to push away a vicious Aitchison shot from the left of the area.

Strong penalty appeals from the Forest green players caused the referee to stop and consider after 63 minutes, but he adjudged Mike Jones to have used his body to block a cross rather than his arm.

Rovers were dealt a heavy blow with 20 minutes to play as James Morton was shown his second yellow for a sliding challenge on Hallam Hope in the middle of the pitch, Rovers needing to dig deep.

Rovers tried to force a winner after a sustained spell of pressure, but the Carlisle defence stood strong.

Forest Green Rovers XI: Thomas, Bernard, Rawson, Winchester, Stevens, Morton, Kitching, Godwin-Malife (Shephard 59’), Mills (c), Taylor (Adams 73’), Aitchison (Mondal 75’)

Unused subs: Wollacott, Grubb, Allen, McGinley

Carlisle United XI: Collin (c), Iredale, Thomas (Loft 90’), M Jones, McKirdy (Hope 66’), G Jones, Webster, Bridge, Olomola, Kight-Percival, Sagaf (Elliott 85’)

Unused subs: Gray, Mellish, Branthwaite, Sorensen

Referee: Michael Salisbury

Attendance: 3,219 (76 away)

Man of the Match: Farrend Rawson

Next up: Stevenage, Saturday, September 21, The New Lawn