Influential midfielder Mike Jones says Carlisle United want to take their unbeaten run to further extraordinary lengths as he prepares to face one of his former clubs tomorrow.

The visit of Crawley will see the Blues bid for a 15th game without defeat since the start of the league campaign.

The remarkable form has seen Keith Curle's side break a club record - but Jones says there is no reason why their sequence has to end.

Jones said: "The longer it goes on, the prouder you get.

"It's 14 now, and then you start talking about getting to 20, even half the season.

"And why not? This run doesn't have to just disappear. It's up to us to keep it going, and if we keep doing the right things, we know what we've got and how good a team we are."

While second-placed United are aiming for a fifth straight victory that could narrow Plymouth's four-point lead at the top, Jones says the squad know they are there to be shot at by their League Two rivals.

He said: "We're a big scalp now for anyone - teams are going to raise themselves another five or 10 per cent now, but that's where we've got to raise ourselves again and embrace it.

"Pressure comes with being at the top end of the table, but you've got to enjoy that as a player and push yourself even more. We've just got to keep going."

Manager Curle has some selection issues to resolve tomorrow, with captain Danny Grainger suspended but striker Shaun Miller back from a ban.

Grainger's absence could see Macaulay Gillesphey move to left-back, handing a chance at centre-half to Shaun Brisley or Mark Ellis.

For Jones, meanwhile, it is a reunion with the club for whom he made 91 appearances from 2012-14.

The 29-year-old said: "There has been a big change-around there since I was at Crawley. One of my old team-mates, Mark Connolly, is still there, but that's about it.

"I had two seasons down there. We had a good team in the first season, when we should probably have nicked the play-offs, and the second season was a little bit similar - we tailed away a bit towards the end, when Richie Barker left.

"I wouldn't say they were the best times of my career but it was alright. It's a nice place, a good experience to live somewhere else in the country - but it's much better to be up north.

"It's nice to play one of your old teams but it's not going to be a massive thing for me - it's another game and it's all about three points."

United's last home game against Hartlepool drew a 7,333 crowd - and Jones, who joined from Oldham in the summer, says team and fans can work together to build on their impressive start.

He said: "It's nice to be in a team like this now, with a great set of lads, good staff and you're enjoying turning up for training every day, and come Saturdays we're at the right end of the table.

"With the fans it works both ways - you can't not put in performances and expect them to come. But when we're playing as well as we are, it's nice they've recognised that.

"The crowd at the Hartlepool game was brilliant to play in front of. When you get an extra couple of thousand you really feel the difference. Hopefully they can keep that up and we can keep giving them performances to be proud of."

Jones, meanwhile, says he is eager to build on his own personal form - and his effective midfield partnership with Luke Joyce.

"We travel in together, we're good friends off the pitch and Joycey's a great player to play with - he doesn't half put himself about," Jones said.

"I'm just bouncing off him, hopefully he's bouncing off me and we're doing a job for the team.

"I'm enjoying it, I'm settled in centre midfield, but I'll never stand still. I'm 29 now but I'm just like a kid - I want to do better in every game, every training session. I want to put in a better performance this Saturday than I did last Saturday and that'll never change."