Carlisle United boss Chris Beech says the Blues’ frustration at failing to beat Oldham last night is another sign of their progress.

Beech said aspects worthy of criticism from the outcome at Boundary Park were “positive negatives” in the context of Carlisle’s recent run.

The Cumbrians have taken 10 points from the last available 12 and sit in the play-off places in the fledgling League Two table.

That, Beech said, was important to remember given where they were when he took charge last season.

“It was difficult when I got here in November because we were five points off being a non-league team,” he said.

“We ended up 20 points clear and even though we didn’t win as many as I would have liked, we definitely got better at not getting beaten.

“To be critical of not scoring more last Saturday, even though we got three, and to be talking about that same disappointment in the detail [at Oldham]…I see them all as positive negatives right now.

“It’s vital that we understand that, and what’s also vital is that expectation levels have to be managed at the same time as the players understanding where this can grow to if they get everything right.”

Carlisle have not lost in the league for nearly a month, the 1-0 defeat at Scunthorpe their last League Two setback, with Beech saying the Blues giving away fewer “gifts” has “given us a chance to grow”.

“They [the players] are growing. They’re still learning. There’s still a lot to come from us.”

Beech has also highlighted the importance of United having a range of goalscoring threats.

It was a set-piece that got them in front at Oldham, Aaron Hayden heading home Callum Guy’s corner, with United having forced a number of dead-ball situations in recent games.

Head coach Beech said: “Any successful team scores goals from different areas.

“If you’re going to be successful at this level of football – try and win half your games, try and keep 20 clean sheets, these are really hard things to do. Try and score 75 goals. Who’s gonna get those goals? Try and concede one goal or less over a season per game.

“Get all those things right and you’ve got a chance of being successful.

“I want us to play an exciting brand of football where attackers take players on, backed up with full-backs getting in the last third, crossing and scoring themselves.

“I like midfield players getting in the box, I like my attackers to take players on and be instinctive in the last third, and I want control to it on spillage so we create second waves of attacks, and have control in games.

“Once we’ve put the foundation of that down, which we have in the team, the team just has to go on and do it, and make that decision at that right moment and get it right.

“That could be three or four goals in a game without a doubt. It could have been [last night] but it wasn’t and we’ve got to accept the fact we drew the game.”