Carlisle United

Darlington v Carlisle
Darlington boss David Hodgson will be without Clark Keltie as the defender lost his appeal against a red card and is suspended for four games. Hodgson hopes to bring in a loan signing to compensate for Keltie's absence, while Matty Appleby returns. Carlisle boss Paul Simpson should boast a full-strength squad. Defender Peter Murphy is the LDV Vans Trophy finalists' only doubt with a back injury but he looks set to be passed fit.

Simpson pleased with top showing
Carlisle boss Paul Simpson hailed his side's professional showing after securing a 5-0 win at Darlington which saw them keep hold of top spot. Simpson said: "It's a fantastic result and a fantastic performance, we were very professional. "The goals were spread out and made a bit of a mockery of the comments that we were an average team if you take Michael Bridges and Karl Hawley out. "We were strong and deserved it, I don't think anybody could doubt that."

Darlington 0-5 Carlisle
Carlisle secured a fourth straight league win in superb style to maintain their lead at the top of the table. Moments after Simon Johnson struck the Carlisle post, Kevin Gray broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time. After the break Derek Holmes pounced to add a second, while Michael Bridges made it 3-0 with a superb finish. Sam Russell then allowed Glenn Murray's shot to squirm under his body, while the Darlington goalkeeper was also caught out by Simon Grand's lob.

Carlisle v Lincoln
Paul Simpson will choose from a fully-fit squad. Adam Murray has recovered from illness and will be hoping to figure and Simon Hackney is pushing for a start. Lincoln manager Keith Alexander may add young right-back Phil Watt to his squad after handing him a squad number as a precautionary measure. Paul Morgan (foot) and Jeff Hughes (calf) both remain doubtful while Gareth McAuley (stomach) and Danny Bacon (broken leg) are definitely out.

Prize money blow for cup winners
The winners of the LDV Vans Trophy final on Sunday will lose out on £50,000 in prize money because the competition has lost its sponsor. LDV has been sold off after going into administration last year, and the new owners will not be providing the cash. A Football League spokesman said the issue is "under review" but no decision is likely before Swansea and Carlisle meet at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. The competition will now be known as the Football League Trophy. Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins told Sir Stanley they have not received any money for progressing through the competition. He expects to lose out on an estimated £75,000 if they win on Sunday. "Unless a last-minute sponsor comes in for the actual game on the day, we have to accept we're going to struggle to get any prize money from it," said Jenkins. "The players are on bouses to get through to the final, and those bonuses are based on prize money so this does hit our earning power on the day. "But we have a commitment to honour the bonus contracts so obviously we'll do that." Despite the loss of a sponsor, both clubs are still set for a bumper pay-day on Sunday because they will receive 45% of the total gate receipts. Swansea have already sold 22,000 tickets and Carlisle expect to break the 13,000 barrier this week.

Carlisle 1-0 Lincoln
Michael Bridges produced the moment of inspiration to send Carlisle six points clear at the top of League Two. For 75 minutes Lincoln had frustrated Carlisle, but they had no answer when Bridges held off Colin Cryan, rounded Alan Marriott and slotted home. In the first half Bridges had struck the bar and the striker was also denied by a fine save by goalkeeper Marriott. Lincoln went close to taking the lead in the 50th minute when Marvin Robinson curled his shot against the bar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carlisle: Westwood, Arnison, Gray, Livesey, Aranalde, Billy, Lumsdon, Murphy, Holmes (Glenn Murray 71), Hawley, Bridges. Subs Not Used: Williams, Adam Murray, Grand, Hackney. Booked: Lumsdon. Goals: Bridges 75. Lincoln City: Marriott, Cryan, McCombe, Brown, Beevers, Frecklington (Birch 78), Foster (Stirling 83), Kerr, Green (Wilkinson 61), Forrester, Marvin Robinson. Subs Not Used: Steve Robinson, Gritton. Booked: Foster, Stirling. Att: 6,723. Ref: A Bates (Staffordshire).

Carlisle boss wins monthly prize
Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson has been named League Two manager of the month for March. The Cumbrians stretched their lead at the top of the table to six points with wins against Northampton, Darlington, Boston and Lincoln. Simpson said: "To win this once award once in the season is great, but to pick it up twice shows just how much we have been doing things right. "The club is doing things properly from top to bottom."

Carlisle v Grimsby
Carlisle welcome back striker Michael Bridges after he was cup-tied for the Football League trophy final. United boss Paul Simpson has no other injury or suspension concerns as his side aim to record a club record seventh straight league victory. Grimsby striker Gary Cohen is rated doubtful after damaging knee ligaments in the win against Wrexham. Curtis Woodhouse is suffering from a nagging hip injury which could also keep him on the sidelines.

Carlisle 1-0 Grimsby
Michael Bridges' second-half strike moved Carlisle six points clear at the top of the League Two table. Bridges latched onto Zigor Aranalde's through-ball and coolly lobbed keeper Steve Mildenhall to earn the Cumbrians a record seventh successive league win. Grimsby's best opportunity saw Marc Goodfellow denied by on-rushing home keeper Kieren Westwood while Curtis Woodhouse also went close late on. Adam Murray nearly made it 2-0 for Carlisle but Mildenhall saved his shot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carlisle: Westwood, Arnison, Livesey (Adam Murray 52), Gray, Aranalde, Lumsdon, Billy, Murphy, Bridges (Glenn Murray 77), Hawley, Holmes (Hackney 65). Subs Not Used: Williams, Grand. Booked: Westwood. Goals: Bridges 49. Grimsby: Mildenhall, McDermott (Futcher 81), Whittle, Robert Jones, Newey, Goodfellow (Toner 82), Bolland, Woodhouse, Parkinson (Mendes 74), Reddy, Gary Jones. Subs Not Used: Kamudimba, Croft. Booked: McDermott, Toner. Att: 10,909. Ref: G Salisbury (Lancashire).

Simpson hails Bridges after win
Carlisle boss Paul Simpson hailed Michael Bridges after the striker's goal helped them beat League Two title rivals Grimsby 1-0 at Brunton Park. Simpson, whose side are now six points clear at the top, admitted: "It was a scrappy game. "Bridges was shattered, but he did enough with a little bit of magic to help us get three points. "We had to defend strongly, and the three minutes of added time felt like the longest I've ever sat through."

Bristol Rovers 1-1 Carlisle
Bristol Rovers' League Two play-off hopes were dented as leaders Carlisle came from behind to earn a point. Scott Shearer kept Rovers in contention in the first half, saving from Chris Lumsdon, Derek Holmes and Adam Murray. Craig Disley gave Rovers a shock lead in the 55th minute with a drilled 25-yard volley from the left that flew inside Kieren Westwood's near post. Carlisle levelled after 75 minutes when substitute Simon Hackney headed home from Murray's cross. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bristol Rovers: Shearer, Lescott, Hinton, Elliott, Carruthers, Haldane (Campbell 82), Hunt, Disley, Igoe, Agogo, Walker. Subs Not Used: Horsell, Gibb, Edwards, Lines. Booked: Hinton, Elliott. Goals: Disley 55. Carlisle: Westwood, Arnison, Murphy, Gray, Aranalde, Lumsdon, Billy, Adam Murray, Bridges (Grand 90), Holmes (Hackney 62), Hawley. Subs Not Used: Williams, McGill, Rivers. Goals: Hackney 75. Att: 6,181 Ref: R Olivier (W Midlands).

Carlisle 2-1 Notts County
Michael Bridges scored a late winner against Notts County to put Carlisle on the brink of promotion to League One. The Cumbrians started slowly and went behind on 25 minutes when Steve Scoffham lobbed Kieren Westwood after a good throughball from David Pipe. Bridges struck the first of two goals just before the break smashing a volley beyond Kevin Pilkington from 25 yards. He left it equally late in the second half before slotting home Karl Hawley's neat backheel from the edge of the box. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carlisle: Westwood, Arnison (Holmes 81), Gray, Murphy, Aranalde, Adam Murray, Lumsdon, Billy, Glenn Murray (Hackney 66), Hawley, Bridges. Subs Not Used: Williams, McGill, Grand. Booked: Arnison. Goals: Bridges 45, 89. Notts County: Pilkington, Edwards, Baudet, Martin (O'Callaghan 26), Doyle, Palmer, Crooks, Needham, Ullathorne (Long 45), Scoffham, Pipe (Frost 80). Subs Not Used: Chillingworth, Marshall. Goals: Scoffham 25. Att: 10,735 Ref: A Penn (W Midlands).

Bridges relieved to inch closer
Carlisle striker Michael Bridges was relieved after his brace in the 2-1 win over Notts County took them to within two points of promotion. "We were terrible in the first half, and it was a relief that we went in at 1-1," he told the club website. "We got a bit of a telling off after the break, but when you score a late goal at the end of the first half it does take the wind out of their sails. "It means that if Grimsby don't get a result on Friday, then we've done it." Carlisle need two points from their final four games to guarantee promotion - though because of their superior goal difference, one is likely to be enough.

Mansfield v Carlisle
Mansfield have been hit by serious problems, with Jake Buxton out for the season after sustaining a broken foot in the defeat at Barnet. Danny Reet was sent off at Barnet and starts a three-match ban, while Giles Coke, also saw red at Underhill, will be serving a one-match suspension. Carlisle hope to have defender Danny Livesey back after missing two games with an ankle injury. It is also the game which could see Carlisle clinch promotion.

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