MANAGER: We're going to get close

“The preparation for tonight started for us on Sunday morning,” he said. “We were going over information we feel we need to give to the lads because we knew we only had a couple of days to prepare.

“It’s a case of assessing the runners and riders and making sure we have a team I think will get us the points against what is a very good side.”

“Shrewsbury play football in the right way, at a good tempo, and they can look a strong side if you let them get on top,” he added. “There’s a different type of pressure for them because they’re up there and the expectation levels are high. 

“They’ve invested a six figure sum in a centre forward, if the reports are correct, and they’ve taken Mandron on loan to add to the mix. The key for the manager is how he gets them all involved and how he keeps his philosophy in place.”

“With the draw they got at the weekend, can they afford to come to Carlisle and only get a point?” he asked. “They’ll feel they need to come here and win, so we need a performance to match that. We need to be respectful of what they have, but not to the detriment of what we can do if we play the game in our way. 

“I think it’s a game where we can get in their shorts. We’re going to get as close to them as is physically possible, within the remits of the game, so we can do things on our terms. One of the things which came out of Saturday was we had a team that ratted all over the park. We closed down quickly and we had one or two players near the ball all the time. We’re going to need that again.”

On the suspension for midfielder Kyle Dempsey, he said: “We have players in the squad who can replace. They have tenacity and ability and they’re ready to step up to the plate. 

“We have a number of options and we’ll look at what we have available before we decide the best way of going about things.”

“Troy [Archibald-Henville] has been with Dolly to do everything he possibly can to see if he feels he will be able to perform,” he continued. “He knows I don’t want anyone to do me favours by saying they’re fit when they aren’t. That will do us all a disservice. We’ll be guided by him, and how he feels, and we’ll take it from there.

“People keep telling me every game is a six pointer but I’ve looked at the table and we still haven’t been given twelve points. There’s a work ethic that’s bearing fruit and I think the supporters are getting enjoyment from that. 

“These are games where we can enjoy pitting our talents against teams that are riding high on confidence. Sometimes that can be the best time to play, because we find out more about ourselves. There’s a unity we’re building here and the games we have coming up will help with that.”