Carlisle United boss Keith Curle rued the mistakes that cost his side dearly after last night’s crushing 4-1 defeat at Plymouth Argyle.

Curle’s men lost for the first time this season, conceding four goals for the second successive game at Home Park.

And Curle was at a loss to explain the basic errors that condemned his side to a heavy defeat after what had been a bright display in the first half.

“We had a game plan and a shape that was causing them problems. We had four good chances but then a defender slipped and the ball ended up in the back of the net,” he said.

“At 1-0 down at half-time you don’t panic, but the second goal was poor defending, a player not doing his job.

“The third goal was another slip and the fourth was a player not knowing what was around him.

“You can’t legislate for people slipping but there were simple things we have to remedy.

“We must still take the positives from how we played in the first half.”

The United manager made three alterations to his team from Saturday’s thrilling 4-4 draw with Cambridge United but the changes failed to inspire Carlisle to a first league win of the season.

Former United loanee Jake Jervis, who bagged three goals in six outings for the Blues in the 2012-13 campaign, scored the opener for Argyle, taking advantage of Tom Miller’s slip to blast in the opener just before half-time.

A second-half collapse followed, with further strikes from Reuben Reid, Graham Carey and Jervis’ second making Joe Thompson’s late consolation irrelevant and the 780-mile round journey to Devon and back a thoroughly miserable one for the 169 Carlisle supporters who had made the midweek trip.

But Curle saluted those fans who made the long trip south.

“They were fantastic – it was a phenomenal effort,” he said. “At 3-0 down they were the only people in the ground that you could hear singing.”

Meanwhile, Curle also revealed that Championship side Bolton Wanderers have had a bid to extend Courtney Meppen-Walter’s trial period refused by United, who have told the Championship club that they would have to make a loan approach to keep him at the Macron Stadium.

And he also confirmed that defender David Atkinson, who went off injured in the 3-1 Capital One Cup victory over Chesterfield last week, could be set for a longer lay-off, as Curle revealed he has suffered a hamstring tear.