Cambridge ended an eight-game winless run in League One with a 1-0 victory over nine-man Carlisle 1-0 at the Abbey Stadium.

After an uneventful first half, the Us went on to dominate the second and their pressure paid off 17 minutes from time when Liam Bennett’s cross was headed home by George Thomas, eight minutes after his arrival as a substitute.

The away side missed a big chance to take the lead inside the first two minutes when Jack Armer pulled the ball back to Danny Butterworth, who could only shoot wide of the far post.

Cambridge’s pressure built after the break, with Carlisle goalkeeper Tomas Holy getting down well to push James Brophy’s effort wide at his near post in the  69th minute.

Moments after that he was a spectator as Bennett tried his luck from distance, his shot curling narrowly off target, before Thomas opened the scoring.

Carlisle’s afternoon got worse seven minutes from the end when Armer was dismissed for collecting his second yellow card, before Alfie McCalmont also saw red in added time for a dangerous high tackle on Paul Digby.