A Sam Routledge goal, his fifth of the match, edged Carlisle into a 12-11 lead with 57 seconds remaining but, almost immediately, Carlisle had a player excluded and Nikolas Roussos claimed his fifth strike for the London team.
Five goals by young left-hander Kamz Powell set up Exeter's 13-9 victory over Hucknall.
Photo: Tom Redman, of City of Cambridge, in action at Marlborough. Photo: Darren Nash