AN encouraging performance by the Blues was spoiled by two late Carlisle goals in last night’s friendly at the Deva Stadium.

A couple of late defensive lapses allowed the League One visitors to snatch a win when a draw would probably have been the right result on the overall balance of play.

Chester were the better side during a first half in which French trialist Damien Mozika – making his debut having been granted international clearance on Monday – looked particularly impressive.

He was a forceful presence in a three-man midfield alongside Tony Dinning and the excellent Anthony Barry.

City always looked the team most likely to break the deadlock during the first period.

John Murphy headed just wide from a Kevin Roberts cross on 14 minutes following a driving run through midfield by the impressive Mozika.

Ellison then sent a couple of fizzing left-footed efforts in on goal – the first just wide of the target following a Murphy knock-down and the second being comfortably held by Carlisle keeper Chris Howarth.

The first goal of the night arrived against the run of play in the 37th minute, Mark Bridge-Wilkinson playing in Scott Dobie, who raced clear of a static City back-line and beat keeper John Danby with a cool right-footed finish.

But the visitors’ lead lasted less than two minutes. When Ellison was upended on the edge of the area, the Chester winger took the free-kick himself – and curled a beautiful shot into the far corner of visiting keeper Chris Howarth’s net.

The second-half exchanges were more even, and Carlisle began to gain a foothold in the game as they were able to introduce quality players into the action from the bench.

There were only eight minutes remaining when United substitute Gary Madine grabbed the game’s third goal.

He ghosted into the area to beat Danby at his near post with a neat header from a Luke Joyce cross on the right.

With just four minutes left on the clock, sub Simon Hackney rubbed salt into Chester’s wounds with the away side’s third of the evening.

He benefited from a bad mix-up between Danby and centre- back Paul Butler. As the two Chester players hesitated over which one of them should clear the ball, the alert Hackney stole in and netted with a simple finish from close range.

Blues boss Simon Davies had hoped to give Trevor Benjamin a second-half run-out but the on-trial striker injured his eye during the pre-match warm-up and was unable to play.

Chester: Danby, Roberts, Wilson (McManus 73), Dinning (S Vaughan 60), Linwood, Butler, Mozika, Barry (Hughes 60), Murphy (Taylor 66), Partridge (Lowe 46), Ellison.

Carlisle: Howarth, Campion (Horwood 60), Livesey, Gowling, Cameron (Raven 60), J Smith (Hackney 60), Bridge- Wilkinson, Thirwell (G Smith 65), Taylor (Joyce 80), Dobie (Carlton 60), Graham (Madine 75).

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire).

Attendance: 611 (115 away).