Ahead of Sutton United’s visit to Brunton Park on Saturday, we spoke to Carlisle United Head Coach Mark Hughes.
Speaking to CUTV, he reflected on the Easter weekend draws, the push to secure third place and the importance of maintaining momentum heading into the final home fixtures of the regular season.
Here is everything we learnt:
1. A chance to secure third place
“We wanted to try and wrap that up as quickly as possible, and this weekend gives us another real opportunity to cement that position in the league.”
2. Performance levels remain strong
“I’ve been pleased with the performances over the Easter weekend.
"We created enough chances to win both games, so it’s about carrying that level into Saturday.”
3. Clinical edge the focus
“It’s just about being a little bit more ruthless.
"The quality of the chances has been there; we just need that extra cutting edge to take the game away from the opposition.”
4. Momentum still crucial
“Even if we do get the chance to rest one or two players, the key thing is keeping momentum high and moving in the right direction going into the play-offs.”
5. Respecting Sutton United's threat
“They’re safe in terms of their own position, but teams always come here knowing they need to put in one of their better performances, so we’ll be ready for that.”
6. Learning from the reverse fixture
“We know from the game earlier in the season that if you don’t take your chances and make individual mistakes, you can get punished, so we’ll need to be sharp.”
7. Dealing with the injury setback
“Losing Gilly (Alex Gilliead) is a huge blow because of his quality and influence, but it opens the door for others to come in and make an impact.”
8. Options returning at the right time
“We’ve got a few players getting closer now, which is really important at this stage because we need everyone ready to contribute.”
9. Home form as the foundation
“Our home record has been really strong, and it’s important we keep that going to give ourselves the best possible platform heading into the play-offs.”
10. Fans driving the finish
“We want to finish our home games in the right manner, and the support we get here can make a huge difference for us.”
