Carlisle United manager Mark Hughes has admitted that confidence within the squad is high after they extended their unbeaten run to four games with a 1-1 draw against League Two leaders Walsall on Tuesday night.
The Cumbrians have won one and drawn three of their most recent fixtures as they continue to fight for survival. They still remain bottom of the division but travel to Harrogate Town on Saturday knowing could see them move out of the bottom two for the first time since November.
Simon Weaver’s side will represent a tough task though. Although they are still in the relegation battle, they have won their last two home games to open up an eight point gap on the bottom two.
Hughes Delighted With Recent Form
Hughes was named as Mike Williamson’s successor at the beginning of last month and although he lost his first two games, has recently overseen the upturn in form. The former Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City boss believes this run has helped instil a newfound confidence into his squad. Speaking to official club media, he said:
“We go into it (the game against Harrogate) with higher confidence, certainly.
“I think that was one of the things I hoped to address when I came in, trying to get some more confidence into the group, into our play. I think we’ve done that, we’ve had a decent run of four games. That’s a good run, teams at the bottom don’t go on those type of runs.
“So, we’re gaining confidence from that. I think we’re gaining confidence from just being together as a group and understanding. When I first came in, they didn’t quite know what I was going to be like, or what my demand of them was.
“Now they’ve got a pretty fair idea, so I think they’re more comfortable with that. They know the messaging is constant and consistent and they can work with that.”
Writer’s View
Carlisle will travel to Yorkshire believing they can pick up three points against a team that are also battling to stay in League Two. Their recent form has been good but they have only picked up one win in this period whilst also scoring just twice. They need to find their scoring boots in order to start turning one point into three, which will ensure their survival. The Cumbrians will also be confident for the remainder of the month, where they have the luxury of three successive home games.
