Carlisle United's Paul Simpson on Oxford United defeat

The Blues’ League One survival chances are no better after their 3-1 home defeat to Oxford United.

Carlisle are still six points below the safety line with 19 games to go and they are now as short as 1/7 with some bookmakers to make an immediate return to the fourth tier.

But manager Simpson insists the Cumbrians can still find a way out of trouble.

“This is a tough situation, really tough. This is probably one of the toughest I've been involved in,” he said.

“But I’m up for the challenge and I relish the challenge.

“I'd rather have this challenge than the challenge that I had when I first came back in, when we were scrapping around at the bottom of League Two.

Carlisle react after conceding the first goal to Oxford (Image: Ben Holmes)

“We’ve got lots of opportunities to be able to turn it around. And we've got to keep doing as much as we possibly can.”

United’s latest setback came on a day new goalkeeper Harry Lewis made his debut with Luke Armstrong and Harrison Neal getting their first home starts.

Second-bottom Carlisle have been active in the transfer market so far this month but their fortunes on the pitch do not yet show signs of improving.

• Jon Colman's big match verdict on the Blues' defeat to Oxford

After a bright start against fifth-placed Oxford, the Blues went behind when a debated corner decision saw the visitors set up Mark Harris from close range.

The striker got the second early in the second half when home fans raged at assistant referee Emmanuel Edet for keeping flag down as Harris went through.

Tyler Goodrham sealed the points with a third before Alfie McCalmont hit a consolation with his first of the season.

Simpson refused to blame the officials for United’s downfall.

“The second goal is the sickener for me, because you come out for the second half, and you have to stay in the game. And we don't,” the manager said.

“We concede a really poor second goal for me. And there's no point blaming the assistant on the far side – we should have dealt with it better.

Alfie McCalmont turns away after scoring United's consolation (Image: Ben Holmes)

“We did have periods in the game where we were in it, I thought we started well; I was happy with the start.

“But when you don't make those opportunities count, you sort of just have a feeling that it's going to go against you.

“If they’d done us with one of their number tens, whether it was [Ruben] Rodrigues or Goodrham making runs like they were, then you hold your hands up.

“But to concede to a set play is just really poor from us and that’s the big disappointment.”

• Why Blues defender missed Oxford defeat

Simpson felt that the officials’ decision to award Oxford the crucial corner was “probably right” and criticised Carlisle’s failure to win key challenges as the delivery came in.

“Then the second goal…it's a really tight call. I honestly think looking at it – and I stopped it, paused it and rewound it – if we had VAR I think it would have given it as an offside,” he added.

“It’s a really tough call to expect somebody with the naked eye to be able to give that.

“But we still had opportunities ourselves as well. We got into the final third and we didn't get the right crosses.

“I can think of three or four occasions when we get there, and we don't find a man and we don't get on the end of things.

Players clash after Joe Garner's challenge with Jamie Cumming (Image: Ben Holmes)

“We had the one where Joe Garner hits it to the goalkeeper, we had the free-kick at the end where we blaze it into the Warwick Road End.

“And we've got to be better than that. We are better than that, but unfortunately, we're not showing it when it really matters.”

Simpson admitted United had lost to a good team and had not been beaten for a lack of effort.

“We didn't get ourselves ahead, which is something which we've really struggled to do this season, and it went away from us again,” he added.

“And I'll say it again, they're a good side, Oxford United, they're good footballers there.

“So we have to just take it, we've got to deal with it and move on and get ready for the next one.”