Manager Keith Millen says Carlisle United’s clash with leaders Forest Green Rovers will be the perfect test of how far his team have come.

Rob Edwards’ table-toppers are the Blues’ next opponents this Saturday.

The trip to Nailsworth will see the Cumbrians put their five-game unbeaten run on the line.

They will do so against an impressive home side seven points clear at the summit and without a league defeat in 14 games.

It promises to be the toughest examination yet of United’s improvement under Millen.

But the Blues boss says his team must embrace the task ahead.

“I’ve just said that to the players – it’s a great challenge for us now,” Millen said.

“We’re in a great place as a team, so let’s go to the league leaders and see exactly where we are.

News and Star: Forest Green's game against Mansfield was abandoned because of fog on Tuesday (photo: PA)Forest Green's game against Mansfield was abandoned because of fog on Tuesday (photo: PA)

“The good thing is, and we’ve worked on it a little bit, Forest Green play a similar way to Hartlepool [United’s opponents on Tuesday].

“Whether that’s a good thing I don’t know but it’s certainly something I’ve looked at.

“Obviously Forest Green are doing something a bit better because of where they are in the league.

“It’s a good place to go and play, I know the stadium quite well, decent pitch. I can’t wait, it’s a good challenge for us.”

Forest Green’s bid to stretch their lead at the top was thwarted by fog on Tuesday night, causing their home game against Mansfield Town to be abandoned.

They remain, though, the side to beat in League Two, having taken 52 points from their 24 games so far.

That includes eight wins and two draws from their 12 home games.

Millen said he will study Edwards’ side closely before forming a plan to take on the runaway leaders – but he won’t deviate much from how United have gone about things recently.

“We’ll see, but we’ve definitely got an identity to what we’re about,” he said.

“I always look at the opposition, and we might tweak a few things here and there, but we don’t come away from our principles, because that’s what’s got us there now.

“There’s no reason we can’t go there and get a result.”