Offrande Zanzala says he’s more than happy to keep waging war with defenders if it helps Carlisle United’s cause.

The striker has brought a combative side to United’s front line as well as chipping in with important goals.

And Zanzala, who will hope to further boost Carlisle’s play-off hopes against Scunthorpe tomorrow, says he will continue both dishing out and receiving physical stuff in his battles with centre-halves.

“It’s my game, I enjoy doing it,” he said.

“It’s important to do the dirty side of the game with a smile – you’ve got to enjoy it.

“I get some back as well, but I don’t mind it if it means we get three points at the end of the game, and if someone else gets an opportunity and I can contribute.

“It’s important I keep doing my best for the team first, and that will replicate in my performance.”

Zanzala has become a key part of the United side after coming into form following his January move from Crewe.

His latest crucial contribution came with an impressive opening goal in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Southend.

It was a win, the 24-year-old said, that has given Chris Beech’s side further momentum as they continue their bid to revive their top-seven hopes.

“It was crucial,” he said.

“We needed to get a second win on the bounce and hopefully we can go on a run now.

“With nine games left we want to get as many points as possible and push on.

“At this moment in time we’ve got momentum and it’s important we keep going, keep picking up the points as much as we can, and we’ve got every opportunity to do something.

“Hopefully against Scunthorpe we can get another win. The way we’re going at the moment there’s no doubt that we can.”

Zanzala earned plaudits with his superb goal at Roots Hall, when the ex-Accrington and Derby man brought down an Aaron Hayden clearance and evaded two defenders before rifling home.

“It felt good when it went in, and it was good to be back on the scoresheet,” he said.

“It came from the back, I brought it down, ran on with it and thought, ‘just get the shot off’.

“It’s definitely a confidence booster for myself to look back and keep reminding myself that I can score various goals.

“Whether it’s a header, in the box, outside the box, slipping someone in…I’m just happy to participate in goals.”

Zanzala says it is now vital that United keep pushing on and leave their recent poor run behind them.

The Cumbrians won once in 13 games amid a worrying slide from February onwards, but six points from their last two games has put them within sight of the upper reaches of the table again.

“It was difficult, everyone knows that, we can’t hide from that, but it’s in the past and we have to focus on what’s in front of us, which is the play-offs,” he said.

“That’s what we’re looking for. Everything we do is for the last nine games, and every game we just chip away, chip away, and we go into every game believing we can win, score, do well and work hard.

“We’re still there to get promoted. Some people might write us off but we’ve still got the opportunity to get to the play-offs, and after two wins, two performances, in games with different styles of football…we can look back, hopefully having got promoted, and say we did well on this run.”