Carlisle boss Mark Hughes said his side’s 2-0 victory over Morecambe gives them belief that they can maintain their Football League status.
Goals from Georgie Kelly and Terell Thomas gave Hughes’ side back-to-back wins for the first time since March 2023 to see them move ahead of the Shrimps at the foot of League Two and take them to within six points of safety with four games remaining.
Hughes said: “After the way we turned things round against Newport last week we were looking forward to the game and asked for more of the same.
“It’s great to get back-to-back wins and we have to just keep on trying to apply the pressure on others and see where it takes us.
“We are in a good place at the moment. Everyone is pushing in the right direction and I think we saw the game out comfortably in the end.
“It was a scrappy game but we matched them al the way and put pressure on them and were aggressive, determined and resilient, stood up to the challenge and got the points.
“I think everyone can see we have belief and we will look to keep that going.”
After a low-quality start Kelly gave the visitors the lead in the 28th minute when he was left unmarked to head a right-wing cross past Harry Burgoyne from eight yards out.
Morecambe’s best chance of the first half fell for Hallam Hope in injury time but the striker produced a shocking finish to volley wide from three yards out.
Yann Songo’o had an early chance to put the Shrimps level after the break but volleyed over Max Taylor’s lay-off.
Carlisle made him pay as they added a second on the hour when star man Thomas got on to the end of a cross from the right and produced a superb first touch before finishing calmly past Burgoyne to seal the three points.
Carlisle keeper Gabriel Breeze made an excellent late save to deny Callum Jones a last-gasp consolation.
Morecambe boss Derek Adams said: “It was a game of very few opportunities and we probably had the best of them through Hallam Hope and Yann Songo’o.
“But they scored the all important goals that came from long balls into the area that we didn’t deal with.
“Overall though some of our play was slack and we didn’t do well enough in certain areas of the pitch.
“We made four changes at half-time because we had to try and change things and introduce some width and try and alter the flow of the game but it didn’t work for us because those that came on didn’t do enough to change things.
“It was a difficult afternoon for us because we knew the stakes were high and we didn’t do enough in the game to deal with the situation.
“We are adrift now and we need a good run at it now and win games but that isn’t going to be easy.”
