Carlisle United 2 Cheltenham Town 0: Jamie Devitt and Hallam Hope scored the first Carlisle goals under Steven Pressley to give the new boss victory in his opening game in charge.

United moved up to fourth in League Two after Devitt and Hope struck early in the second half.

And Pressley later sounded an optimistic note on transfers by saying United could bring in up to FIVE new players before the end of the January window.

Three days after Pressley's appointment as John Sheridan's successor, United moved towards a seventh win in eight when Devitt controlled a deflected Regan Slater cross and sent a shot in off the post in the 49th minute.

The Irish midfielder, playing in a more attacking role, then turned provider when he robbed Robins midfielder Chris Clements and put Hope through to slot home in the 57th minute.

Both players claimed their ninth goals of the season and the Blues saw through the victory to hand Pressley the points.

Pressley made two changes for his first game in charge of Carlisle United, with Gary Liddle out with a knee injury and Macaulay Gillesphey dropped to the bench.

Into came Gary Miller for his first league start since October and only his fifth Blues league appearance, with midfielder Slater also recalled.

Teenager Liam McCarron, on his full home debut, tested Cheltenham at times with his pace down the right.

In the opening stages, Kelvin Etuhu and Danny Grainger were wayward with shots from outside the box.

Man-of-the-match Devitt then came closest to breaking the deadlock in the goalless first half.

The midfielder started down the middle of United's attack against he Robins, and on 12 minutes hit a goalbound shot from 25 yards which keeper Scott Flinders kept out.

Tom Parkes had a shot blocked from the resulting corner as the Blues looked for an opener.

Michael Duff's visitors responded with a run by Chris Hussey which took him past Miller before his shot was tipped over by Collin.

Later, Hope curled wide from the edge of the box before the Robins' Craig Alcock was booked for a cynical foul on McCarron.

Hope headed over a narrow-angle, close-range chance late in the half as Carlisle, despite having the better of things, lacked serious penalty box threat.

That changed when McCarron, Devitt and Slater combined, the latter's cross reaching Devitt who sent in a fine finish two minutes into the second half.

Collin denied Charlie Raglan after a low attempt from the Robins debutant, before Devitt pounced on visiting errors to send Hope through to make it 2-0.

Grainger almost added a third, shooting just wide when picked out by Slater's floated cross.

Luke Varney shot over at the other end before Hope fired wide when put through by Devitt.

Ryan Broom had a Cheltenham shot blocked by Grainger, Collin then saving from sub Jacob Maddox.

Grainger almost picked out sub Connor Simpson on the latter's home debut and Slater was denied from close range in the final seconds in front of a 4,458 crowd, which included 110 Cheltenham fans.

United: Collin, Miller (Glendon 81), Grainger, Parkes, Gerrard, Slater, Etuhu, Sowerby, Devitt (Simpson 83), McCarron (Jones 75), Hope. Not used: Gray, Kennedy, Gillesphey, Egan.

Cheltenham: Flinders, Hussey, Tozer, Alcock (Dawson 86), Raglan, Broom, Thomas, Clements, Waters (Maddox 65), Varney (Addai 65), Barnett. Not used: Lovett, Mullins, Forster, Pring.