BOOS greeted lack-lustre Latics at the final whistle after Frankie Bunn’s side went down with a whimper to make it four games without victory and slip to 12th in the League Two table.

Quick-fire second-half strikes from Ashley Nadesan and Jack Sowerby added to Hallam Hope’s opener on 21 minutes as the visitors racked up a three-goal lead with more than half-an-hour still to play. It didn’t flatter them one little bit.

Athletic pulled a goal back with a well-taken Ishmael Miller effort but in truth, they were never at the races.

Bunn made three changes to the side which started the goalless draw at Mansfield on Tuesday – and stuck with the 3-5-2 system he employed in the second half at Field Mill.

The big team news saw the return of top scorer and League Two Player of the Month Sam Surridge after a two-match absence with a hip injury. Jose Baxter was also given a long-awaited starting berth, as was centre back Sam Graham.

Callum Lang, Chris O’Grady and Cameron Dummigan dropped to the bench.

After a turbulent week for Latics off the pitch following reports in a national newspaper regarding non-payment of wages and an alleged threatened strike, more spice – if any were needed – was added to the melting pot with the return of Latics legend John Sheridan as Carlisle boss.

Anthony Gerrard, shown the door at Boundary Park for gross misconduct in the summer, captained the visitors.

Former Athletic midfielder Mike Jones was named in the away midfield while Tommy Wright and Paul Murray also returned as part of Sheridan’s backroom staff.

Shez was given a warm welcome by the home faithful.

No surprise there – the former midfield maestro and manager was parachuted in to save the club from almost certain relegation in 2016 and guided them to League One safety again the following year after a brief stint at Notts County.

He remains the last manager to take the club into the League One play-offs back in 2007.

Gerrard, who played a total of 69 games in two spells for Latics since 2015, was not greeted with such grace.

Neither was the Carlisle opener which arrived on 21 minutes. A sluggish start from Athletic was punished when Macaulay Gillesphey nodded a high ball back across goal for Hope to nod home amid some uncertain defending from the Latics back three who had looked shaky since the kick off.

Aside from Ishmael Miller who was looking dangerous with some powerful runs forward, Athletic offered very little as an attacking force as Carlisle – dominant in possession – asked all the questions.

The warning signs were there before the visitors broke the deadlock when George Edmundson’s last-ditch block was enough to divert Hope’s shot wide when clean through.

Following the goal, Jack Sowerby went close to doubling his side’s lead when his effort whistled just wide of Daniel Iversen’s right-hand post on the half-hour mark.

Next, centre back Tom Parkes, up from the back, volleyed a Jones corner wide of the mark as half-time closed in.

Alarm bells were ringing and something had to change to wake Latics from their collective slumber.

Chaddy the Owl, the feathered Athletic mascot, received the biggest cheer from home fans when he successfully placed an effort through the car tyre attached to the crossbar during the half-time challenge. It really was that bad.

However, the only thing that did change after the restart was Carlisle’s superiority as they increased their lead without breaking sweat.

Within 12 minutes of the second half, Sheridan’s men were 3-0 to the good after Nadesan and Sowerby sparked derision from the home sections – and a double substitution by Bunn as Lang and Johan Branger-Engone replaced Graham and Christopher Missilou.

Athletic offered fans a glimmer of hope on 69 minutes when Miller finished with confidence after latching on to Lang’s through ball.

By far Latics’ best performer, Miller then made way for Chris O’Grady after feeling a hamstring.

Carlisle sat back after that and invited pressure. Aside from Lang’s bullet header from Rob Hunt’s right-wing cross which was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Adam Collin in the away goal with a minute to go, none was forthcoming.

Home fans flooded out – Gerrard enjoyed the moment as he celebrated with the travelling supporters while giving the North Stand a cheeky wave or three.

Forget the unbeaten away record - Athletic have now conceded six goals in their last two home matches. Nightmares are made of this.

LATICS (3-5-2): Iversen 5, Graham 4 (Branger-Engone 60, 6), Clarke 6, Edmundson 5; Hunt 5, Missilou 5 (Lang 60, 6), Gardner 5, Baxter 4, Taylor 5; Surridge 6, Miller (O’Grady 73) 7. Subs (not used): De La Paz, Dummigan, Nepomuceno, Maouche. Booked: Graham.

CARLISLE: Collin, Liddle, Gerrard, Parkes, Jones (Glendon 81), Hope, Gillesphey, Yates, Sowerby (Slater 90), Etuhu, Nadesan (Campbell 81). Subs (not used): Miller, Adewusi, McCarron, Gray. Booked: Jones.

Attendance: 4,730 (679 away).