TO say Carlisle captain Paul Thirlwell does not score many goals would be a supreme understatement.

His 88th-minute strike was only the second goal of his 196-game, 10-year league career – and it has probably put the final nail in David Byrne's hopes of landing the Swindon Town manager's job.

Smiling Carlisle boss Greg Abbott summed it up well – "I've never seen him have a shot – he should get two goals for scoring that one," he said, knowing that his skipper's goal was a massive bonus.

It came when Graham Kavanagh's free-kick was punched out by goalkeeper Phil Smith to Thirlwell, whose low shot burrowed into a corner through a throng of legs and bodies in the box.

For Byrne, it was a bitter pill to swallow, and with a new manager likely to be appointed within the next week to 10 days, his future is uncertain.

Whether a win would have strengthened his case for the job is doubtful, but for the third time in four games he saw his side concede a last-gasp leveller, after dropping two points to Bristol Rovers and Peterborough last month.

After those late heartbreakers and the subsequent defeat at Walsall, Jerel Ifil was restored to the back four and teenager Callum Kennedy came in for his first League start at left-back. The changes came close to doing the trick.

"I can't keep saying the same things, but we have conceded another goal in the last minute," said Byrne, with the air of a man who seems resigned to missing out on the top job.

"The back four did well and looked solid, then Phil punched the set-piece to the edge of the box and they scored with their one shot on goal.

"We needed the second goal and I thought it was coming. But when Simon Cox hit the bar I had this funny feeling.

"I'm not sure it was a free-kick for the goal but the player should have been marked on the edge of the box and he wasn't – someone should have been within touching distance.

"Games last 94 minutes now and we have to concentrate or we get punished.

"But I can't blame the back four, who put in fantastic performances.

"At half-time, I told them a clean sheet would win us the game as I was confident we were going to score."

To call the first half 'scrappy' would be polite – it was a tale of two players, with Swindon looking dangerous on the all-too rare occasions they got the ball out to Anthony McNamee on the left flank. For Carlisle, the vision in Kavanagh's passing was head and shoulders above anything else on show, but it took 31 minutes for either goalkeeper to be stretched.

That honour fell to Tim Krul, who blocked Cox's effort after he had started the move with a good run up the right, then squared to Michael Pook, and he shifted the ball out to McNamee, whose cross was met by Cox, but Krul was equal to it.

Krul also beat out a McNamee shot when he found himself one on one with the young Dutchman from an exquisite Lee Peacock long ball but that was about it – the second period had to be better.

It was, and Swindon nosed ahead within five minutes, thanks to McNamee.

He sent a cross over from the left and, with Billy Paynter lurking on the far post, Carlisle defender Peter Murphy got there first and diverted it in via the bar.

Abbott sent on two men with decent reputations – Chris Birchall, who has a World Cup game against England for Trinidad and Tobago on his CV, and Michael Bridges, a former Champions League semi-finalist with Leeds United.

The 4-5-1 formation became 4-4-2 and they started to ask more questions of Swindon, but still without testing Smith.

Swindon, led by Peacock's determination and McNamee's guile, looked for the second and Peacock fired over, then arrived late to head Kennedy's cross against the bar before Paynter headed wide.

Kavanagh flashed a free-kick wide then, with six minutes left, Cox acrobatically crashed a volley against the woodwork.

But with two minutes left, Swindon self-destructed again and left Byrne frustrated.

"We have to learn to kill teams off but we couldn't have done any more," said Byrne.

"Callum Kennedy did well, McNamee looked like his old self, Peacock and Pook were outstanding in the middle and the two strikers linked up well.

"Greg and his team know they have nicked a point, as all the lads put a shift in and I didn't think we got what we deserved.

"It happened against Bristol Rovers, Peterborough and again now. Six points would see us in mid-table now, but all I can do is do my best and hope it turns round for us."

How long Byrne remains in charge is up to chairman Andrew Fitton and his board, but he certainly hasn't had much luck.

Swindon (4-4-2): P. Smith; Jack Smith, Aljofree, Ifil, Kennedy (Amankwaah 82); McGovern (Sturrock 90), Pook, Peacock, McNamee; Paynter, Cox. Subs not used: Brezovan, Marshall, Easton.

Carlisle (4-5-1): Krul; Raven, Murphy, Keogh, Liddle; Taylor, Kavanagh, Thirlwell, Bridge-Wilkinson (Bridges 60), Jeff Smith (Birchall 60); Graham (Madine 78). Subs not used: Howarth, Blake.