Carlisle manager Greg Abbott tells Southampton Brunton Park is not a fortress

The Cumbrian side, who were caned 4-1 by Alan Pardew’s Saints in last season’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley, have won three games in eight days on their home turf, scoring 11 goals.

It’s a tough test for Nigel Adkins, right, and his men, but Abbott knows his team still have work to do before they can consider their ground a formidable venue for opponents.

Carlisle kicked off their recent home run with a 2-0 league win over Tranmere, followed it up with a 6-0 FA Cup thumping of Midland League minnows Tipton Town and rounded it off with a 3-1 victory over Crewe in the JPT northern area quarterfinals.

“I’m not giving you a ‘Fortress Brunton’ headline so you can stop harping on about that,” Abbott said yesterday.

“We would like to make this place like that, but we have got to be on the ball and working our socks off week in, week out.

“I don’t think we are the finished article just yet and I don’t think this place is frightening everybody to death, but it is certainly becoming a good place for us.

“If we build on that, I will be absolutely delighted. But I’m not going to say it’s Fortress Brunton Park just yet, because it isn’t.”

He is, though, happy that his team are winning games.

“I like the head of steam and I like winning. I like that feeling,” he said.

“On Saturday against Tipton I could sit back and enjoy it. On Tuesday I enjoyed part of it, but not all of it.

“Basically the game is about winning and scoring goals, and we did that on Tuesday, so I’m probably grumbling for the sake of it at times.”

He added: “We have just talked about keeping the season alive for as long as we can.

“If we go down in one, there are another two to go at, but we are in a good position in all three at the moment.

“A result on Saturday and everything is alive and kicking. If we can come through the game unscathed it will have been a fantastic fortnight for us.”