Jim Bentley is hoping his impressive record at Brunton Park continues when he brings his Rochdale side to take on Carlisle United.

The new Dale manager lost just once in six visits to Carlisle’s ground with former club Morecambe.

And the new boss of League Two’s bottom club is hoping to start on a positive note in his first league game at the Rochdale helm this weekend.

Bentley, though, also concedes that Carlisle will be difficult customers under the respected Paul Simpson.

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“They’re a good, solid club at the level,” said Bentley of the Blues.

“I’ve come up against them quite a few times in my Morecambe days – I actually had a good record up there.

“They’ve got a good manager and a good man in charge in Paul Simpson, a person I know well and know his family.

“He’s an ex-Rochdale person as well. They’ve had a solid start. They’re doing ok.

“They’ve got a way of playing, Paul is a very experienced manager-coach, who’s been around the game and knows what it’s about.

“We’re away from home and we know it will be a tough game, like they all are, there’s no hiding from that.

“Every game’s difficult at the level. But every game’s winnable as well.”

Bentley was appointed by Rochdale earlier this week after Robbie Stockdale became the first managerial sacking of the season.

The former AFC Fylde boss started with a 3-3 draw at Accrington Stanley in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday.

Now he starts his bid to improve Rochdale’s league fortunes after they took one point from their first five games.

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“They seem like a good group. Obviously something’s not right because of the position we find ourselves in,” he added in a club interview.

“Sometimes you get an uplift in performance and energy levels when someone new comes through the door.

“We got that [on Tuesday] but that’s the least we expect now. It’s about making sure we get our foot on the gas and onwards and upwards up the table.”

Bentley is likely to include former Carlisle loan midfielder Connor Malley against the Blues.

And there is set to be a debut for deadline-day signing Scott Quigley, the former Barrow striker who has joined on a season-long loan from Stockport County.

Quigley said: “I’m more excited than anything. I’m looking forward to getting going and meeting the fans.

“There’s no better way than getting three points up in Cumbria.”