CARLISLE United head to the UniBol tonight with a couple of big boxes to tick.

The Cumbrians of course know three points would be a real shot in the arm in their bid to reach the League Two play-offs.

Chris Beech’s men are 10th and just two points shy of the top seven having drawn their last three games, the most recent two of those being goalless at Newport and at home to Port Vale on Saturday.

Carlisle also head down the M6 having not won at Bolton in 44 years.

The sides had until this season admittedly not met since March 1988 but after a 3-3 draw at Brunton Park on Boxing Day it is now the turn of Beech’s men to make their first trip to the UniBol.

It was March 1977 when Carlisle last won away from home against the Whites, coming out on top 4-3 at Burnden Park. The four Bolton home games following that saw the Whites enjoy a 100 per cent record and score 12 goals without reply.

Fast forward to the present day and both sides have a big few weeks ahead of them as they target League One football next season, and Beech can’t wait to test his side against Wanderers, Ian Evatt’s side having been transformed in 2021.

“I’m really excited,” he told the News and Star. “I want us to do what we’ve done since the first day I came into this job and represent the supporters to the best of our abilities.

“I think we can at a great venue in Bolton. So I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Bolton are a massive club and they shouldn’t really be in League Two, but they are.

“They’re doing their best to try and do something about it, but we’ve got a great opportunity to go there and do our best.”

It has been an up and down season for Carlisle but Beech insists he cannot fault the effort of his players.

He said: “It’s something we should be proud of because of where we started and how the season has gone.

“It feels like we’ve had 10 seasons in one somehow, but we’ve dealt with everything.

“We try our best to make sure we represent our great supporters and give them something to shout about.

“There was a point a few weeks ago where we were way off and maybe 13th or 14th. We’ve had a real good go and we’ll continue to do that in the remaining five opportunities we’ve got. We’ll attack every game and it’s important to try to not become desperate. The more you want something the harder it can be to make it happen, so we’ve got to find that balance.”