Kristian Dennis admits he’s delighted to hit double figures already for Carlisle United this season – and wants to stay on the goal trail.

The Blues’ top scorer has ten in 16 games after his double in the 2-0 win at Tranmere Rovers.

The experienced forward is among League Two’s top marksmen – and he is aiming to remain in top form in front of goal.

“I’d have snapped your hand off if you’d offered me that at the start of the season,” he said of his tally so far.

“I’ve just got to keep going, and if I’m scoring and hopefully other people chip in it’ll mean we’re winning.

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“In the last couple of games I can’t say I’ve been at it really, but to get a goal after 30-odd seconds is brilliant.

“As long as we’re winning, that’s all that matters. We all want to have something to play for towards the end of the season.”

Dennis scored after 39 seconds at Tranmere before converting a second-half penalty at Prenton Park.

It maintained an excellent start to the season for the experienced frontman, as United moved up to seventh in the table.

The victory quickly arrested a two-game losing run in the league and a spell of three defeats in all competitions.

Dennis said it was important United returned to form after their midweek defeat at Stockport County.

But he said Paul Simpson’s side had never lost confidence despite their recent dip.

“I don’t think it was [an issue],” he said of the confidence factor.

“We just had an off day on Tuesday. It doesn’t matter who you play in this league, if you have an off day you’re likely to lose.

“Luckily everyone was back at it [at Tranmere] and we got the result to go with it.”

United’s spirit was to the fore at Prenton Park as a side depleted by injuries and suspensions produced one of their best displays of the season.

News and Star: Dennis scored after 39 seconds at TranmereDennis scored after 39 seconds at Tranmere (Image: Richard Parkes)

Dennis said it is testament to the good feeling around the squad. “There’s so much of that [spirit] in there,” he added.

“There’s nobody who isn’t part of it, everybody just really gets on.

“It’s brilliant to come into work to it every day and we’ve just got to make sure we keep it up.”

Dennis’s opener at Tranmere was Carlisle’s quickest goal since Joe Riley’s 38-second effort at Newport County last October.

It came as the Blues broke quickly down the right as Callum Guy fed Jack Stretton to cross for Dennis.

“To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to reach it,” Dennis told United’s official channels.

“I thought to myself that I’d just dive and see if I could get there. It actually fell perfect and luckily it went in.

“How long was it, 39 seconds? That’s some start, that.”

Dennis then stepped up to score from the spot after Stretton had been fouled following a training-ground free-kick routine.

The Blues frontman took spot-kick duties after Ryan Edmondson had their previous penalty saved against Doncaster Rovers. Both Edmondson and another regular taker, Jordan Gibson, were suspended on Saturday.

Dennis said: “[Jack] did ask as I walked over but then he looked at me and said, ‘I don’t even know why I asked you that’.

“I wasn’t going to give it away, no chance. It gave us the two-goal cushion and I think we were even more in control then.”

On a stutter in his approach to taking penalties, the former Notts County, Chesterfield and St Mirren marksman said: “I’ve done it plenty of times. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don’t.

“I’ve had a few penalties where I’ve done that, and I was actually debating going down the middle.

News and Star: Dennis made it 2-0 from the penalty spotDennis made it 2-0 from the penalty spot (Image: Richard Parkes)

“I looked at the ball but I was keeping my eye on the keeper a little bit, and I saw him lean to go for it and I thought, ‘Yeah, happy days’.

“I knew I could place it and we’d be 2-0 up.”

Dennis said United were “brilliant to a man” in how they completed their 2-0 victory.

He added: “Everyone knew what had gone wrong on Tuesday, and hopefully this has shown that it was just a little blip.

“We got back to our normal form in the league and hopefully that continues.”

United are moving back in the right direction in the league but Dennis says they must maintain the high standards they showed against Micky Mellon’s Tranmere.

“It’s one thing being there now but we need to be there when we’re looking towards the end of the season,” he said.

“If we keep putting in performances like this then we shouldn’t be far off.”

Carlisle’s 905 travelling fans were in magnificent voice as they saluted Simpson’s team at Prenton Park, a week before they face the same opposition in the FA Cup first round at Brunton Park.

And Dennis said: “It’s brilliant celebrating with them like that. They never shut up all game and I think the goal early doors helped us all.

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“Everywhere we go they travel in big numbers and if you don’t feed off that there’s something wrong with you.

“We just want to keep saying thank-you to them by getting results.

“Hopefully it’s another big crowd at the weekend and they get behind us again, because it makes such a massive difference.

"They’re brilliant and we want to do it for them again.”