Lucas Weaver pounced on a defensive mistake to fire Altrincham into a fifth-minute lead with a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards, but Callum Whelan struck the Cumbrians’ equaliser on the stroke of half-time with an excellent finish following David Ajiboye’s ball into the box.

Harry Isted produced superb saves to twice deny Carlisle forward Regan Linney, but the Altrincham goalkeeper was powerless to keep out Callum Camps’ thunderbolt in the 61st minute.

Weaver levelled it up for Altrincham in the 76th minute, sliding in to convert Adam Desbois’s cross, but Carlisle struck twice in the final five minutes to seal an eye-catching win through substitute Micah Obiero and Jonah Lowes.