GREG Abbott has challenged his in-form Carlisle United to notch the biggest result of their season against early-season pacesetters Charlton.
The Cumbrians, unbeaten in four, are nicely placed in the League One table but their promotion credentials face their sternest examination yet at the Valley, where Chris Powell’s Addicks are yet to taste defeat.
Add into the mix the fact Charlton will be looking to bounce back after a surprise defeat at Stevenage and it is clear Abbott’s side will need to perform to come away with anything from their South London trek.
Not that the garrulous Carlisle chief is unduly worried, having overseen a useful run of his own lately.
A three-goal thumping of Yeovil last weekend was proof their September wobble has been consigned to the past, but a win at Charlton would be a real statement of intent.
Abbott said: “This game at Charlton is as tough as any.
“They are where they are because of the quality in their squad and the way they play football. We know what they are going to do, and we are going to have to handle it.
“They will have a big crowd who will all be feeling up for it because of their league position, and it will come down to whether we have the right attitude which will allow us to play our own game.
“It is the type of game we should all be looking forward to.
“If we go there and get a result, then it will keep us where we want to be.
“That is important, because confidence is high and we want to keep our own run going.
“The lads are giving it everything at the moment and we are very happy with how things are going.
“We can always improve, and we have to keep working hard, but there is a good feeling about the place.”
It is the first of two big games in the space of a few days for Carlisle, who welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Brunton Park on Tuesday.
A home fixture will be welcome respite from the motorway miles for Abbott’s men, who occupy the most northerly point in the football league but have faced back-to-back trips to the West Country and then the capital.
Abbott does not want to hear that used as an excuse, though, having devised a new strategy to break up the long journeys.
Breaking the trips up with stops in the Midlands and south west has eased the pain on his players and allowed better preparations for away games.
Abbott added: “It is our second big trip in a fortnight but it is nothing we are not used to.
“It is part and parcel of how we have to do things at this club, and we have our routine pretty much set in stone.
“We always travel to roughly halfway and then stop to train, and that breaks the journey up nicely, along with helping us to finalise a few things ahead of Saturday.
“We have built up some excellent relationships which allow us to do that, and we find clubs like Peterborough, Derby, Wolves, Stoke, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City, Reading and Cheltenham are more than happy to let us use their facilities.
“It is important we keep talking to these people and developing the relationships whenever we can, because it is a big help we are able to do this.”
