CARLISLE United have had one anti-climax this week, and assistant manager Graham Kavanagh is anxious to avoid another.

Not that they will care in the slightest when they walk out at Wembley for the second time in 12 months, but the Cumbrians booked their Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final place in the worst possible way by losing 3-0 at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday to scrape through 4-3 on aggregate.

Having seen the players take their eye off the ball after reaching last season’s final, Kavanagh is determined they do not lose focus at Southampton in League One today.

The former Sunderland and Middlesbrough midfielder, whose side lost four of their next six games last year before being thumped 4-1 by the Saints in the showpiece, said: “We enjoyed last season when we reached Wembley and it was a big anti-climax.

“The big thing now is to focus on what we have ahead of us in the league and put as many points on the board as possible.

“We then go and make sure we do all we can to beat Brentford (in the April 3 final). This year it is probably a more realistic proposition.

“Last year everyone fancied Southampton, who had big, top players who performed on the day.

“We will enjoy that when it comes around, but it is important as a staff and a group we bring the players straight back down to earth because of their age and the inexperience.

“The key is getting 50 points for survival as quickly as possible and assessing where we are with the hope we might have enough games left to push for the play-offs.”

Kavanagh is in his first full season on Carlisle’s coaching squad and, like his players, he is learning all the time.