Defiant Simmo backs Carlisle United for promotion with just three matches of the season remaining

Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson has backed his players to still achieve automatic promotion this season although there are only three matches remaining this season.

The Blues currently sit fifth in League Two and are four points behind third place Stevenage, although have played a game more. Northampton Town currently sit second. If Stevenage win their game in hand they would climb to second and Carlisle would be five points behind Northampton Town.

With three matches remaining in the current campaign Simpson's side are in a much stronger position than what they were this time last season and the United manager is still backing his players for promotion.

He said: "I think we have to be looking at those two places without a doubt.

"At the start of the season I put a graph up in my office about what I thought were the average points over the last five seasons to get promoted. All we can do is starting this weekend is try and get three points."

Carlisle United have been on a tricky run of fixtures recently and drew 2-2 at home to fellow promotion hopefuls Stockport County on Tuesday evening.

Simpson believes the game was a fantastic advert for football in League Two.

He said: "I think when I put my sensible head on I would probably say a draw was a fair reflection of the game.

"I thought for long periods of the first half they dominated the ball, without having loads of attempts at goal.

"Second half I thought we really went at them and probably dominated until going 2-1 up and then the equaliser made it a bit of a ping pong game for the last 5/10 minutes. It was end to end, we maybe could have nicked one, they could have nicked one.

"I just thought it was a really good game of football and a great example of two teams at the top of league two going toe-to-toe trying to do things properly."

The Blues were second best for large parts of the first half against Stockport. A change in shape at half time proved to be the catalyst for a much better second half performance from his side, although Simpson was quick to back his decision of starting with a back three from the start of the game.

He said: "You pick a team at the start and I picked a shape that I thought was going to be right to try and stop them playing, but to also help us going forward.

"Unfortunately the way the game went it just didn’t happen. I think that is normal those things can happen.

"Second half it wasn’t just about the change of shape. It was the fact the players actually ran harder, ran further, ran positively, played forward, ran forward and that is what creates chances. The shape gives you a framework it is just about the players going and doing all of those positive things that we saw in the second half."

Simpson believes the message he provided his players at half time has been consistent throughout the whole campaign.

He said: "It was a consistent message that we have given all through the season. You have to have belief. Football is a running game and you have to run hard. If you don’t run hard the chances are you are not going to be lucky and you are not going to get the results.

"Second half we just asked them to run harder, run positively, pass forward, get bodies in the box but that is the same message, that is what I asked for from the start of the game.

"I asked them to take the shackles off. Unfortunately because Stockport are a good side sometimes it affects the way you go about it. The change of shape certainly gave the players a more positive mentality to it but it was them who performed really well in the second half."

The Blues have performed extremely well across the campaign and find themselves still in the promotion hunt with only a few matches to go. Simpson believes the three remaining fixtures against sides all in the top half of the decision will not be easy.

He said: "The last three games are going to be as tricky as the first 43, it is as simple as that. I really think this is the beauty of English football. Everybody goes right to the wire.

"There is nobody that sticks the flip-flops on in April and thinks job done we are safe in the middle of the table. Everybody wants to beat each other. I will guarantee that Barrow Football Club supporters, players and staff will want to spoil any Carlisle United enjoyment on Saturday afternoon.

"Salford have got a lot to play for and they will come and try and spoil it.

"Sutton is a really tough place to go. They have got a mentality about them that is really difficult to come up against. So all three games are going to be tough.

"I would imagine that every manager and group of players that are in these top places at the moment will be saying right through till the end of the season they have got a tough game on their hands. We have just got to do ours properly.

"That is the only thing on our mind, go to Barrow do our job properly dust ourselves down and get ready for the next one."

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