Eric Kinder admitted Carlisle United’s youngsters were “dominated” by Penrith in their Cumberland Cup defeat.

The academy boss said the 5-2 defeat should serve as a wake-up call for many of his under-18 players.

United, the cup holders, were well beaten by Dave Hewson’s side in the quarter-final tie at Frenchfield Park.

United did not include any senior players in their squad but Kinder said his teenagers should still have performed much better.

“It doesn’t matter what side we put out,” he said. “At our level we’re classed as the professional side in this competition.

“We’ve put many a youth team out over many years, and I’ve never been involved in a game where we’ve been so dominated by an amateur opposition.

“I have no complaints whatsoever. I thought we were a poor second-best.”

Penrith’s Jonny Studholme and Kevin Connelly shot the hosts into an early two-goal lead.

Jimiel Chikukwa pulled one back for United but the hosts made it 4-1 after the break through Luke Brown and Stuart Johnson.

Keelan Leslie headed home for Carlisle late on before home sub Mal Holliday scored an impressive fifth to earn Penrith a semi-final trip to Cleator Moor Celtic.

Kinder said: “They outfought us, outpassed us, played the game better than us, played a proper game of football.

“We were clearing it 20 yards, they were clearing it 60 yards. They were hitting it over our back four and we couldn’t even get there.

“The last goal’s a hell of a goal but that started with somebody jumping out of a tackle.

“It is a wake-up call.”

United’s squad included the quartet who have recently been offered professional deals, with Charlie Barnes, Liam Lightfoot and Tom Wilson starting, and Charlie Birch coming on for the second half.

Academy manager Kinder said Carlisle were defensively “all over the place” and that it was “men against boys”.

He added: “The back four seemed frightened to death of getting up the pitch in the first half.

“I don’t understand that at all, it’s not like that in league games.

“We had a little sniff when we were getting back in the game just before half-time, but we need to score the next goal at that point. We don’t do that in the second half and they run out comfortable winners.

“We’ve got people in that team who’ve just been given a pro contract. This time next year, or even before that, they are going to have to play against wily old foxes from League Two, not wily old foxes from the Northern League.

“These lads are non-league players and they’re tough to play against. They picked up all the second balls, first balls, everything. We didn’t. We didn’t play. I thought we were weak and soft. We’ve got to get a tougher middle.

“It’s disappointing, we’ve got to look at ourselves.”

Kinder said his players must now respond in their next league game at home to Salford, who are top of the EFL Youth Alliance North West table, with United fourth.

He said: “They [Salford] really turned us over at their place. They’ve got two quick forwards and if our centre-halves defend like that on Saturday they’ll be in for another hammering. They’ve got to stand up, be counted and show some desire.

“Salford are probably the best side in our league. They’ve not just won 2-0, 3-0, they’ve won 4-0, 5-0. We were one of those with 4-0.

“Saturday will tell me a lot about this group if they can come out and battle.”