Steven Pressley brought Craig McLeish into the first-team fray at the expense of Ryan Flynn who had looked out of sorts against Stirling at the weekend.
Bairns started with the same impetus that marked their early endeavours at Forthbank, with a
cross from Jack Compton in the third minute sliced out by Carlisle's Frank Simek.
Mark Stewart took the corner short to his namesake Millar who blasted at goal only for Iain Collin to kick clear.
Only in the final 15 minutes of the first half did the game come alive, prompted by a long ball over the top by Carlisle's Sean McDaid to Tom Taiwo. He brought the ball down, despite a strong case for offside and laid off Craig Curran for a shot that was parried by Bobby Olejnik.
Jack Compton tried his luck cantering into the box on 35 minutes but was halted by a strong tackle by Kevin Long.
Moments after having a shot blocked from 25yards out, Kallum Higginbotham thumped a shot at goal and Adam Collin pushed it out for a corner.
Several corners later, Jack Compton whipped in a teasing ball and Brian McLean really should have sent his header into the net, instead just heading wide.
Bringing his French trialist on at the interval for Craig McLeish, and Mehdi Khalis for Marc Twaddle, Bairns' fortunes changed.
A neat flick by Carlisle's Gary Madine sent Taiwo into the box but a good drive, in the 52nd minute, was just wide.
The first applause from the season rippled across Westfield just before the hour when Jason Mar stepped in off the right wing and sent a powerful strike narrowly over the crossbar.
Marr played a hand in the opener on 64 minutes - making way for the goal creator Kieran Duffie. The young right-back played the ball from the right-wing inside to Kallum Higginbotham who fired into the net from the edge of the box.
Duffie again was creator in the 75th minute but Lewis Bonar side-footed wide. Madine at the other end did likewise.
It all collapsed though, when Andy Cook headed past substitute Jamie Barclay three minutes from time.
"It was a good exercise, and I'm pleased. Disappointed to lose the goal though," said Pressley who hopes Kenny Deuchar will make his second Falkirk debut on Saturday against Bolton.
Falkirk: Olejnik, Marr, Twaddle, McLean, Scobbie, O'Brien, Higginbotham, Millar, Stewart, McLeish, Compton. Subs: Khalis, Duffie, Bloom, Mitchell, Barclay, Bonar, Alston, Fulton, Trialist.
Carlisle: Collin, Simek, McDaid, Bridge-Wilkinson, Long, Thirwell, Taiwo, Harte, Curran, Madine, James Berrett. Ssubs: Cook, Gillespie, McKenna, Hutton, Swinglehurst.
Att: 1062 - 102 carlisle
