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HUDDERSFIELD Town’s Wembley bid took a battering as Carlisle struck twice in each half of this Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Northern final first leg.

Nothing would go right for Lee Clark’s side on a bleak night at Brunton Park.

Of course there’s still the second leg to come, at the Galpharm on Tuesday, February 8, and many will remember the area final of 1994, when Town almost came unstuck after beating Carlisle 4-1 in the first leg.

But it’s going to take a big performance to prevent Carlisle extending their record-breaking number of national final appearances in this competition to six.

Town, having chalked up their fourth successive win by beating Walsall 4-2 on Saturday, handed a first start in 12 games to experienced keeper Ian Bennett.

With Alex Smithies absent from the squad through injury, 17-year-old Lloyd Allinson was among the five substitutes permitted in this competition.

On-loan Newcastle left-back Tamas Kadar missed out because of his hamstring problem, with Tom Clarke coming in, while Jordan Rhodes was back in the starting side at the expense of Alan Lee.

League I rivals Carlisle went into the tie buoyed by a first win in six outings, 4-0 at home to Bristol Rovers, in which ex-Town midfielder James Berrett scored two penalties.

The Cumbrians, beaten by Southampton in last season’s Wembley final, included on-loan centre-back Liam Cooper, a Hull teammate of Town’s on-loan midfielder Kevin Kilbane.

Both sides looked cautious in the opening stages, during which Kilbane needed treatment after making a brave block challenge on the edge of the Town penalty area, but the match came to life as a spell of home pressure brought the breakthrough goal.

After on-loan Sunderland midfielder Liam Noble shot over and Francois Zoko fired well wide, Ben Marshall made no mistake in the 19th minute, shooting cleanly past Bennett after Tom Taiwo and Zoko combined neatly down the right flank.

Four minutes later, Carlisle were two up, with Ivorian frontman Zoko, who inspired Carlisle’s fightback in the New Year’s Day league clash with Town at Brunton Park which finished 2-2, again the provider.

This time he passed from the left to set up Taiwo, who netted with a low shot from just outside the box into the same left-hand corner of the goal found by Marshall.

Craig Curran came close to a third with a firm angled drive before Town mustered their first real effort in the 27th minute, Scott Arfield’s shot from Anthony Pilkington’s pass going narrowly over.

But Lee Clark’s men were struggling to keep possession, and it took vital touches from Jamie McCombe and Tom Clarke to clear Zoko crosses from the danger zone.

Then, in first-half stoppage time, Clarke got back to make a vital challenge on Curran as he charged into the penalty box.

Carlisle had a 53rd-minute penalty appeal turned down, Zoko tumbling with McCombe and Lee Peltier in pursuit, while Lee Novak headed just off target from Arfield’s 55th-minute cross.

Town had Antony Kay to thank for denying Carlisle in the 59th minute, the midfielder clearing Lubo Michalik’s shot off the line after Cooper’s effort was blocked.

But Carlisle couldn’t be kept at bay, with two goals in five minutes leaving Town on the ropes.

Both came from set-pieces delivered by Berrett and headed home, Peter Murphy counting from a 62nd-minute corner and ex-Leeds man Michalik from a 65th-minute free-kick.

Pilkington curled a 71st-minute free-kick wide then brought a 76th-minute save from Adam Collin while Kilbane headed a cross by substitute Gary Roberts narrowly off target in the 83rd minute as Town unsuccessfully sought a lifeline.