Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson says Blues are good enough to derail Mansfield Town's home form

The Stags have won all three games at the One Call Stadium in League Two this season – having gone on a superb home run last term.

Simpson admitted taking on Nigel Clough’s side on their own patch represents a serious test for the Blues.

But he said they will go there confident of upsetting recent form.

“It’s probably our biggest challenge so far this season,” Simpson said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how we cope with it.

“They’ve got an incredible record stretching back to October last year – somebody told me they’ve won something like 16 out of 18 at home.

“That’s not a bad record to have. My view is records are there to be broken.

“We will go there confident, with a team that I think is good enough to go and get a victory, and it’s up to us to go and perform on the night.”

Dating back to October 30 last year, Mansfield have won 17 of their last 19 league games on home soil.

Last season’s losing play-off finalists sit seventh in the early League Two table.

United are aiming for their first away win of the campaign against a side they beat 1-0 at Brunton Park in April to secure their League One status.

Simpson said: “They’ve certainly not changed in the way they play since then, and there hasn’t been massive amounts of changes in personnel.

Omari Patrick's goal against Mansfield sealed United's survival in April (photo: Barbara Abbott)

“That [in April] was a really close game and we were probably on the receiving end of a refereeing decision where, it’s probably fair to say, they scored and it didn’t get given [when a shot from Mansfield’s Jamie Murphy hit the bar and crossed the line].

“I’d like to think we’ll get that little bit of luck again [tonight]. You need to have that luck.

“When you’re coming up against good sides you have to be lucky. We’ve got to work hard, compete, be able to play in the right areas, and we also need a bit of luck and hopefully we’ll come away with a result.”

Tonight’s game sees Simpson go up against an opposite number in Clough who he played alongside in his formative professional days.

“I played in the England under-21s with him, and had a game against Yugoslavia at Peterborough,” Simpson said.

“I haven’t come across him a hell of a lot in terms of games, although when he was at Burton and I was here first time round, we went up against each other a few times.

“I followed him into Derby County when he left the club and I went in with Steve McClaren.

“He’s a Derby lad, I know Nigel quite well. He's built a really good squad and it’s something he does well.

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“I thought he built a good squad and a good football club at Burton, and myself and Steve were really fortunate to follow him and Andy Garner to Derby because he’d assembled a good squad there, and I think he’s assembled a really good squad at Mansfield.

“They probably were a little bit unfortunate not to get over the line and get promotion last season, and they’ll be hoping to do it this year.

“It’s a great test for us. I’m looking forward to going, meeting him and Andy Garner, because they’re two really good people, and hopefully we can get the right result.”

Carlisle have not win at Mansfield in nine visits - their last victory coming in 2004 with the dramatic 3-2 victory that gave Simmo's United a relegation stay of execution.

And tonight's game sees Simpson lead the Cumbrians at Mansfield for the first time since the 1-1 draw in April 2006 which sealed promotion to League One.

"I love it as a little football ground, it’s a really good place to go," he said. "I’m looking forward to it.

"I think if we can go and perform, it will be a real good game of football. The way Nigel has his teams playing, they are very forward-thinking, a little bit off the cuff in how they play - you can’t really identify a structure, you can just identify they’ve got good players who know the game.

"We’ve got to make sure we’re able to deal with it and hopefully we can make it a good night. If that [2004] is the last time Carlisle won there, let’s hope that changes as well.