Last updated at 11:52, Friday, 28 September 2012

Manager Greg Abbott has appealed for the 11,000 Carlisle United fans who turned up for the Tottenham game to return to Brunton Park and roar the Blues on to the play-offs.

Greg Abbott

United, beaten 3-0 by Spurs in their big Capital One Cup game this week, are back in League One action tomorrow with the visit of Crawley Town (3pm).

Abbott, whose team performed creditably in defeat, says it is now essential for the club to retain some of the floating fans who gave Carlisle their biggest home crowd for four years.

And the Blues manager hopes his team’s brave display against their Premier League opponents has acted as a sales pitch to the uncertain thousands.

“Everybody knows gates have been down but that might have done us a bit of good,” Abbott said. “Hopefully word will spread that we are not bad and play some decent stuff.

“That sort of support is what we need. The atmosphere on Wednesday was terrific. To see people milling around the ground as early as 6pm before the game was fantastic.

“I hope those people went home with a positive reflection of us. We need to keep some of them for Saturday to help us get to where we want to be in the league.

“They have been looking for nights like that and we want more of them. Getting more through the gates is the key now.”

The visit of Spurs, which drew a 12,625 crowd including 1,400 visiting fans, was Brunton Park’s biggest gate since the Leeds play-off semi-final second leg in May 2008.

The large following provided a superb atmosphere and has already given United’s coffers a much-needed boost, with Abbott admitting the anticipated income from the Capital One Cup third round tie had enabled him to secure the loan signings of Joe Garner and Kallum Higginbotham.

The extra cash from such a big game could not be more welcome to United after a summer of cost-cutting.

But the focus now returns to the league campaign, with cup-tied Garner likely to return to the side after missing out on the clash against Andre Villas-Boas’ top-flight stars.

Huddersfield loanee Higginbotham came in for Garner against Tottenham but may now have to make way for the Watford man.

The Blues manager is unlikely to make many changes against eighth-placed Crawley, who are a point ahead of Carlisle after making a strong start to life in League One following last season’s promotion.

Richie Barker’s side themselves went close to a cup upset in midweek before conceding a last-minute goal to lose 3-2 to Swansea.

Barker could hand a debut to Tottenham loan defender Nathan Byrne, as Abbott hopes his own young players have benefited from facing Byrne’s illustrious team-mates such as Tom Huddlestone, Michael Dawson, Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen.

“That’s what the young players have to aspire to,” Abbott said. “They are learning all the time and the experience will stand them in good stead.

“We are disappointed the run is over but we now have to bounce back and take some of the positives into the weekend.”

First published at 11:27, Friday, 28 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk