Paul Simpson says Carlisle United must be up for the challenge of reigniting their survival bid against one of League One’s top sides.
After struggling to pick up points against fellow strugglers of late, the Blues now prepare to take on sides at the top end of the third tier.
First up is the visit of fifth-placed Oxford United on Saturday, followed by the rearranged trip to take on sixth-placed Barnsley three days later.
It promises to be a further tough examination of Carlisle’s ability to fight clear of relegation, with the second-bottom Blues currently six points adrift of the safety line.
United’s need for victories could not be clearer no matter who they come up against, and Simpson hopes Carlisle can rise to the challenge in front of their home fans.
“We’ve got to get results. We’ve got to get wins, it’s as simple as that,” said the Blues manager.
“We’ve got to make sure we use the enthusiasm that we’re getting from our supporters for our benefit.
“At Exeter we didn’t – we had fantastic support again, on that journey, and we didn’t use it to our benefit.
“It’ll be fantastic to be back at home. We’ve got to dust selves down and deal with what happened [at Exeter], and now we’ve got a great game to look forward to – and a game we’ve got to make sure we’re up for.”
The visit of Des Buckingham’s high-flying Oxford gives Simpson the chance to give recent signings their home debuts.
Luke Armstrong and Harrison Neal will be in the frame for their first Brunton Park starts, with young Crystal Palace loan defender Seán Grehan also pushing for involvement.
The build-up also sees Simpson continuing his efforts to sign more players, with Bradford City goalkeeper Harry Lewis the latest player to be strongly linked.
United's manager is also assessing the fitness of Owen Moxon and Ben Barclay, who missed the 2-1 defeat at Exeter with dead leg and knee injuries respectively.
Oxford, who defeated Carlisle 1-0 on the second weekend of the season, remain well-placed for a promotion challenge despite losing head coach Liam Manning to Bristol City in November.
He was replaced by Oxford-born former Mumbai City boss Buckingham, whose side have experienced mixed form over recent months.
Their last nine games in all competitions have brought three wins, five defeats and a draw, with the Us in action this week when they lost 2-0 at AFC Wimbledon in the Bristol Street Motors third round.
Three days earlier they were beaten 6-2 at Coventry City in the FA Cup third round. But their most recent league outing brought a 2-1 win at Charlton Athletic.
Buckingham’s side have won seven, lost five and drawn one of their away games in League One, and they sit five points outside the automatic promotion places.
It will be Oxford’s first visit to Brunton Park since April 2016, when a 2-0 win for the away side helped them in their successful quest for League Two promotion.
The visiting side will on Saturday be without winger Stan Mills, who suffered a serious knee injury in the Coventry game, but Greg Leigh and Josh Murphy are close to returning from the sidelines.
And the game could see a debut for new loan forward Tyler Burey, who has joined the U's on loan from Danish club Odense.
Simpson himself is a former Oxford player, having been with the U's from 1988 to 1992, making 168 appearances and scoring 50 goals.
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