Gavin Skelton says Carlisle United cannot feel sorry for themselves after missing out on the play-offs – and must do all they can to finish the campaign brightly.

The Blues are at Leyton Orient tomorrow (Breyer Group Stadium, 3pm) for their penultimate game of the 2020/21 campaign.

Carlisle’s top-seven hopes are effectively over – barring a six-point swing and a huge goal difference turnaround – while their opponents are also out of the race.

Assistant boss Skelton said it is important the players get over the disappointment quickly and make the most of their remaining fixtures.

It follows Tuesday’s draw at Cheltenham which left the play-offs out of realistic reach.

Skelton said: “You dwell on things when you’re younger, but dwelling probably doesn’t do a lot of good.

“You have to learn from it and move on.

“No-one really feels sorry for you in the big picture. You just have to crack on and make sure you achieve more.”

United have suffered the disappointment of their promotion hopes slipping away despite topping League Two in January.

It now remains to be seen whether boss Chris Beech will hand opportunities to fringe players in their remaining outings.

The likes of Cedwyn Scott and Taylor Charters could be among those hoping for action at Orient.

Whoever is selected, Skelton says, must go all out to secure a positive end to the campaign.

He said doing that could have a knock-on effect on the way they start 2021/22.

The Cumbrian coach said: “We talked about it as soon as we were on the bus [after Tuesday’s game].

“Orient are a point behind us and we want to finish as high up the league as we can.

“We want to be in that top half, win the last two games and take that momentum into next season.

“Within an hour or so of that game on Tuesday you’re thinking of Orient, what team we’re gonna pick, how we’re gonna approach that.

“The players won’t be allowed to step off it at all.”

United’s main injury question marks are over defenders Rhys Bennett and Rod McDonald.

They start the weekend in 10th place as they line up against Jobi McAnuff’s Os in London.

On the challenge of lifting themselves from their midweek disappointment, Skelton added: “That’s our job, to do it.

“They’re professional players, and they have to get over their disappointment.

“We can’t have any hangover. We want to finish high up the league. And we’re determined to do that.”

Beech’s No2 admitted it hurt to know that United could no longer salvage their hopes of reaching League One.

He said they must learn from the experience and ensure they improve next term.

“It’s not nice,” he said. “But [I’m] no different from a supporter – I’m sure all the supporters, when the scores come through, had that sinking feeling, and it flashes through your mind, ‘We should have done that, we should have won that one’.

“We haven’t, so we have to accept that, learn and move on and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”