Carlisle United boss Rob Elliot has warned his players not to give Solihull Moors any hope of kickstarting their season this weekend. The Blues travel to face the National League's second-bottom side at Damson Park on Saturday, looking to build on a 2-1 win there just days ago.

Elliot's side sit 14th in the table with 17 points from 13 games, but he insists the hosts possess a squad far better than their lowly position suggests. "I think statistically they shouldn't be anywhere near where they are," said the head coach. He pointed to players like experienced defender Alex Whitmore, creative midfielder Joe Sbarra, and forward Jacob Wakeling as genuine threats.

Quality in the ranks

Elliot believes Wakeling, in particular, has the potential to play at a higher level soon. He also noted the experience of Scott High, who has played in the Championship, and the dangerous long throw of Jamie Andrews. "They’ve got really good players in every position and for whatever reason it's not clicking," Elliot added. "You can’t underestimate anyone."

The caution comes despite Carlisle's strong recent form, which reads four wins and a draw from their last five matches. Their latest victory was that 2-1 success at Solihull on Tuesday, with goals from Morgan Feeney and David Ajiboye overturning an early deficit. That result extended their current winning run to two games.

Building momentum

With 23 goals scored this campaign, Carlisle have shown they can find the net. Their next challenge after Solihull is a home game against second-placed Harrogate Town on Wednesday. First, they must handle a potential banana skin. "We have to make sure that we don't give them any sniff of hope or anything where they can cause an upset and get themselves going," Elliot stated. "Because it only takes one game to change things."

The head coach made three changes for the midweek win, with captain Morgan Feeney leading the side and Adam Desbois starting in goal. Leo Duru provided the cross for Ajiboye's 77th-minute winner. Elliot confirmed that midfielder Harrison Neal, who missed the midweek game, will be assessed ahead of the weekend fixture.

Carlisle's full fixtures list shows a busy period ahead, with the Harrogate clash following quickly on October 28.

Read the full report at newsandstar.co.uk