FORMER Port Vale striker Ryan Edmondson headed home a 96th-minute winner for Carlisle United on Saturday as Swindon Town lost 2-1 at the County Ground.

A forgettable first half made way for a far more entertaining second in which Carlisle’s Jack Armer thumped home the opening goal early on.

Substitute Tyrese Shade levelled for Swindon from close range with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, only for Edmondson – who missed a penalty for the Valiants in the League Two play-off semi-final last season – to make an even greater impact from the bench in second-half stoppage time.

The last-kick goal boosts hopes of promotion for Paul Simpson’s side while suggesting it will be another campaign of League Two football for Swindon as they slipped down to 12th.

Jody Morris made three changes to the side which started last weekend's draw against Leyton Orient.

Dylan Kadji dropped to the bench while Joe Tomlinson was not in the match-day 18 due to injury. Reece Devine is out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. In their place, Jake Cain, Jacob Wakeling, and new signing Tom Brewitt all started.

Near the start of a first half which was painfully low on quality from both sides, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy caused a couple of early issues for the Cumbrians with driving runs down the right, but neither shots troubled goalkeeper, Tomas Holy.

Midway through the first half, Omari Patrick almost turned a quick throw down the right into a glorious chance after escaping the clutches of Brewitt, but the striker’s touch escaped him and Sol Brynn gathered inside the six-yard box.

A Carlisle corner was tamely nodded behind, moments before ex-Preston North End striker Joe Garner recorded his only on-target effort of the afternoon. Owen Moxon delivered a free-kick in from the left which was flicked on target by Garner, but Brynn caught the ball above his head at the second attempt.

The best two chances of the opening 45 arrived near the end. First, Carlisle’s Armer almost prodded the Cumbrians in front after Callum Guy's forward header caused havoc in the penalty area, but the shot was blocked by Remeao Hutton.

Up the other end, in a moment which summed up the first half, Charlie Austin tried to turn the ball around the corner on the right, but Jon Mellish simply hacked the ball up in the air and towards Hepburn-Murphy. The Town striker tried to head the ball home first time rather than trying a volley, and skewed it well wide.

With a dreadful first half in the rear-view mirror, Carlisle produced a key moment of quality to begin the second. Moxon’s right-footed corner was curled in towards the near post where Austin crashed the ball off his own bar and out. Town thought they were off the hook, but as the ball rolled out to the edge of the box, Armer ran onto it and half-volleyed the ball into the top left corner with his right.

Moments after going behind, Town really should have hauled themselves level. George McEachran’s inch-perfect free-kick from the left found Austin eight yards out and unmarked, but the striker somehow skewed his header wide when most would have put their house on him finding the net.

Swindon did not allow the missed chance to disturb them too much, though, as a steadily-built period of pressure ended with a home equaliser courtesy of two substitutes in the 80th minute.

Marcel Lavinier passed up an opportunity to shoot with his left and instead switched onto his right near the edge of the box. The eventual effort deflected into the path of Shade, and the winger showed excellent strength to hold off his man and drill into the bottom right with his left foot.

But it would not be enough for a point from Swindon’s point of view, as deep into five minutes of stoppage time, Carlisle stole all three. Moxon’s deep corner – given away after some needless passing around the back – was met by Edmondson at the far post, and he managed to squeeze his header in between Brynn and the post to send the Cumbrians’ bench wild.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, Clayton, McEachran, Williams, Austin (c), Brewitt, Cain, Hepburn-Murphy, Wakeling, Minturn.

STFC substitutes: Copland, Adeloye, Darcy, Jephcott, Kadji, Lavinier, Shade.

CUFC starting XI: Holy, Senior, Armer, Moxon, Feeney, Huntington, Guy, Patrick, Mellish, McCalmont, Garner.

CUFC substitutes: Kelly, Gibson, Edmondson, Dennis, Whelan, Robinson, Gordon.

Referee: Sam Purkiss

Attendance: 9,330 (558)