Paul Simpson is calling for a crowd-pleasing Carlisle United performance as they seek their first win of the season against Wigan Athletic.

The Latics are Brunton Park’s first midweek visitors of the League One campaign.

And manager Simpson hopes it can be a memorable night on and off the pitch (kick-off 7.45pm).

“Let’s hope we can get a good crowd in, and let’s hope we get a performance that makes the crowd want to come back,” said Simpson.

“I think the people who turned up for our [first home] game against Fleetwood saw that we’re trying to do things properly.

“We’ve just got to hope we can do it well enough and it gets us that first win on the board and calms everybody down.

“We’ve got to enjoy the opportunity. We’ve got a great game to look forward to, against a team who have been up in the heady heights over the last few years, and they’ve had their problems.

“We’ve got to make sure we’re ready for it. Whatever team gets picked they’ve got to show the enthusiasm, show the desire and go and give it their best shot in front of what I would imagine will be a really enthusiastic home crowd.”

News and Star: United hope to have Owen Moxon back from illness tonightUnited hope to have Owen Moxon back from illness tonight (Image: Ben Holmes)

Simpson hopes to have midfielder Owen Moxon back from illness tonight with frontman Sean Maguire also hopefully able to return after a family issue kept him out of Saturday’s defeat at Oxford United.

Midfielder Dylan McGeouch is also having a hamstring issue assessed.

United’s manager is also weighing up whether Fin Back can play a second game in four days, soon after his return from a hamstring injury.

“We need to make contact with [Back’s parent club Nottingham] Forest to see where they think Fin’s at,” said Simpson.

“But if Fin can’t play we’ve got an able replacement [Jack Ellis] who can come in for him. I’ll have a look at the game again.

“I thought it was a real high-energy performance on Saturday, and it’s a case of whether or not we feel as though we need to change anything to freshen it up.”

Should Simpson make changes then it could give opportunities to the likes of ex-Wigan frontman Joe Garner and fellow forward Luke Plange.

Shaun Maloney's Wigan, who have won their opening two league games, will include former Blues striker Charlie Wyke.

The Latics’ back-to-back victories over Derby County and Northampton Town have taken their points total to -2, after they started with an eight-point deduction over financial issues.

It is Wigan’s first league trip to Carlisle’s ground in 1997 – while Simpson is hoping for a good midweek occasion to match some of those seen at the stadium last season.

“Brunton Park’s a fantastic place on a night, when it’s getting dark and you get the lights on and get the crowd behind us…it’s a good place to be,” he said.

“We’ve got to do everything to make it a very good place [tonight].

“It’s another great game to look forward to. We had a magnificent crowd for our first game and the more we can get in the better.

“It keeps pushing the club forward, it keeps building us, and it gives the players something to go and work for.”