Carlisle United trained at the home of FA Cup giantkillers Chorley Town as they prepared for tonight's clash at Colchester.

The Blues used the Victory Park home of the National League North club for a session yesterday.

Chris Beech put his squad through their paces at the Lancashire club before United continued the long journey to Essex for their latest League Two fixture.

Chorley groundsman Ben Kay praised the Cumbrian contingent in a post on Twitter, which was accompanied by an image of the Blues in training.

Kay - who famously slept on the Victory Park pitch amid successful attempts to help their cup tie with Derby County beat the weather in January - said United were "top lads and management" who had shown Chorley "total respect".

Chorley, whose league division was recently declared null and void, made headlines in the FA Cup at Victory Park this season.

They shocked Derby with a 2-0 third round win before going down to a valiant 1-0 defeat to Premier League side Wolves.

Kay's efforts to get the Derby game on have been rewarded with an invitation to help the Wembley grounds team ahead of this season's FA Cup final.

Chorley are managed by Jamie Vermiglio, who succeeded ex-Blues star Matt Jansen at the helm in 2018.

United boss Chris Beech, meanwhile, says the Blues must not underestimate Colchester despite the strugglers' 14-game winless run.

“They’re on a tricky run but that means nothing," he said.

"They’ve changed manager and they’ll be looking to get back to playing the type of football they’re known for.

“As ever, we respect the opponent but we need to concentrate on ourselves.

"The lads are believing in themselves. You don’t go to Salford and draw, put Tranmere on the back foot or start a game like we did at the weekend without believing in yourself."

United are hoping to end their own five-game winless spell when they face Wayne Brown's side tonight.

“We’ve got some good players who have created an energy and a way of playing that has been nationally recognised, and this is the first time they’re under pressure as players because a lot of them haven’t been in this position before," Beech said of United's bid to remain in the promotion mix.

“They’ve done ever so well to put themselves into that position and excite everybody, and what they need to do now is step up to the plate and keep doing the things they’re good at.

“A lot of them haven’t completed a full season of football before, so it’s all experiences, but while we’re learning I still want us to be winning.”