Carlisle United were eliminated two leagues behind Chatham Town in the fourth round of the FA Trophy in front of a huge crowd.
The Cumbrian outfit’s assistant head coach Frankie McAvoy defended the team’s selection with nine changes to the starting lineup after they were beaten by a third-place team in the Isthmian Premier League, a gap of 50 places between the two clubs.
It was Matty McArthur’s free-kick in the first half that was the only goal of the game and Carlisle struggled to even mount a comeback, leaving those who made the 670 mile round trip from Cumbria to Kent disappointed.
Another downside was the loss of the top spot in the National League to York, who won away at Sutton United to go top on goal difference.
@ChathamTownFC 1-0 for the Chatham boys, Up the Chats pic.twitter.com/oMxveSshVT
— Mark Rouse (@RandomRooster) January 10, 2026
McAvoy told BBC Radio Cumbria: “We felt we had enough to win the game. A whole bunch of fans came here to try and see us win too and we hoped we had enough quality on the pitch.”
“Some of them didn’t play as many minutes as they probably hoped they would.
“It gave them the opportunity to show what they can do and unfortunately we came up a little short. That’s the disappointment.”
“We prepared as well as we could for the game and had the feeling that we had a squad that was good enough and capable of winning. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way we wanted.”
Watch the reaction of “bitterly disappointed” Carlisle United co-boss Frankie McAvoy after the Cumbrians crashed out of the FA Trophy with a 1-0 defeat at Chatham Town this afternoon.#bbcfootball #carlisleunited #cumbrians pic.twitter.com/Zb908V8neJ
— BBC Sport Cumbria (@bbccumbriasport) January 10, 2026
Carlisle first team coach Frankie McAvoy told CUTV: “We’re disappointed we lost the game. It’s a great shot from the guy, the free kick to be honest. Probably a bit disappointing for us considering how we conceded it.”
“If we’re honest, we probably didn’t create many opportunities and chances. I think once they score, it’s easy for them to wait and it becomes difficult for us to try to beat them.”
“We probably huffed and puffed quite a bit if I’m being completely honest. We probably had a good chance with David (Ajiboye) in the first half but we only managed to get behind them once or twice.”
“We change shape for the second half and get a few good tries at the end. Probably the best one where Cammy (Cameron Harper) almost lost his life and he’s probably a bit unlucky there.
“You’ve got to give them (Chatham) credit. They committed, they worked really hard, they put men behind the ball and they really made it difficult for us.
“We had a lot of possession, as we expected. We probably had the real chances, but were they really clear? Probably not.”
“The only positive thing for us is that it has allowed the manager to rotate the squad quite a bit and give some of the young players opportunities and opportunities to play.
“It’s important that we manage this (fitness) as best as possible. Of course we also have to protect the players we have because the league is also important to us.”
Carlisle midfielder Callum Whelan told CUTV: “Yes, disappointing of course. We came here to win. We had enough experienced players and a team good enough to win.
“I thought we tried in the second half but we weren’t good enough in the final third. We didn’t play enough in their half.
“As much as the league is a priority this season, it’s disappointing not to continue in this competition. It was a good chance to get to Wembley too.
“We prepared for this game like we prepare for every other game. And we came here to win. We try to win every game.”
“We actually said before the game that it was important to start quickly. I just don’t think we started well enough.
“I think we had enough control in the second half to work the penalty area better and create more, but we never really managed to do that.
“They (Chatham) defended really well and made it difficult. We didn’t put enough balls in the box and we didn’t have enough shots.
“The fanbase and support we have is incredible. We weren’t at our level today, which is a shame for those coming, but they will be right behind us again in Solihull.”
One step closer to Wembley.
Thank you for your support, Chats!
We are looking forward to the draw for the fifth round on Monday
#UpTheChats pic.twitter.com/gz1aECemUr
— Chatham Town (@ChathamTownFC) January 10, 2026
Here’s how fans reacted after Carlisle were eliminated from the fourth round of the FA Trophy, two leagues behind Chatham…
@Chris_CA2: Embarrassing, but hardly surprising that having someone who can score goals on the pitch may have helped. It’s probably best not to have to play any more games
@gravesylad: A complete mess. Priority or not, losing a football game to Chatham Town (no disrespect to them) when you are at Carlisle United is completely unacceptable. Possibly our most embarrassing defeat ever.
@PaulRodgersNTO: Good luck to all the decent Carlisle fans I met today who were generally friendly and in a good mood. I hope you go on and win the National League and get back to the Football League where you belong.
@Reay78: First of all… I don’t give a damn about entering this competition. What worries me is the poor performance again and it also shows how much slag we have in the squad that no one is knocking on the door at the next league game. It’s an embarrassing loss.
@jrichardson1196: A mess, but could be a blessing in hindsight. Shows the quality of our squad
@Nick_Brown86: Firstly congratulations to Chatham, it’s an embarrassing result for us but a fantastic one for them. There are a number of players in the squad who need a good kick in the ass or will be kicked out.
If we win next weekend, this result will be immediately forgotten.
@Gills3472: Oh my goodness, well done chats. I’m happy for all of you
@Halpinforpope: Congratulations and good luck for the rest of the competition.
@IsaacStatue: Crystal Palace and Carlisle United. Your boys took a lot of beating!
@dougrmurphy: Keep going and get to Wembley. Congratulations from a Carlisle fan
@Not_Quite_Pro: Excellent result
@markpotter9: Wow. Absolutely incredible. Congratulations to everyone involved there.
@gillfox19: Great performance today. Every player gave their best. It was a privilege to be there
