Carlisle United skipper says promotion still on cards
Last updated 08:30, Friday, 21 November 2008
CARLISLE United skipper Danny Livesey insists the Blues haven’t blown their chances of promotion.
Livesey has challenged his team-mates to follow the example of Southend, who came with a late surge up the table last season, winning 12 games since the turn to the year to secure sixth place.
United have dropped to 18th in League One after being top at one point following a disastrous run of nine defeats in the last 11 games.
They are 12 points off the play-off places and Livesey reckons it’s not to late to march up the table if they can build on last week’s 3-1 win over Brighton.
The defender, who hit United’s goal in a 1-0 win in last season’s encounter with Cheltenham at Brunton Park, said: “It’s amazing what one win can do for morale and it would be even better if we can get a little run going.
“The table is very tight and if you make the right run at the right time things can completely change.
“Southend were nowhere to be seen at one point last season but they were the form team going into Christmas and ended up doing well.”
Caretaker boss Greg Abbott revealed last weekend’s win has lifted the spirits in the dressing room and said the mood in the camp as buoyant and optimistic ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Cheltenham.
But he is predicting a difficult trudge against the side which has won only one league game since the arrival of new boss Martin Allen in mid-September, but showed what they’re capable of by knocking Oldham out of the FA Cup last weekend.
Abbott said: “We’ve got to be careful we don’t go into the game with over-confidence. One win tells us we’re capable but it doesn’t tell us we've achieved a great deal. Cheltenham will be a very dogged, determined side and they will be boosted by a fantastic result against Oldham.
“We have taken a lot of confidence from last weekend and gained some self belief but it’s a fine balance between knowing how well we’ve done and not getting carried away.”
Midfielder Chris Lumsdon and striker Michael Bridges are expected to be on the bench tomorrow after they continued their comeback in the reserves’ 0-0 draw with Burnley on Wednesday night.
The pair both played a full 90 minutes at Burnley but are said to be still one more reserve game away from a first-team return.
