Paul Simpson says Carlisle United must leave nothing out on the pitch as they aim to end a 17-month wait for two wins in a row.
The Blues head to MK Dons today hoping to back up last weekend’s victory over Barrow with another three points.
Should they do so (Stadium MK, 3pm) it would be the first time they’ve tasted back-to-back victories since March 2023, when they put together a four-game winning run in their League Two promotion season.
The chance to build some momentum early in the campaign is one they must give their all to take, manager Simpson said.
“It would be huge – it’s a big thing and would set it up for the next one,” the Blues boss said.
“To be successful, you have to go on long runs, you have to have unbeaten runs, and preferably runs of wins as well, so that's the challenge for us this weekend.
“We know it isn’t going to be straightforward, and we know what to expect from MK, but it's a game we're really looking forward to.”
Simpson will include Dominic Sadi in his squad for the first time after the AFC Bournemouth attacking midfielder’s loan move this week.
Terell Thomas is touch and go with a hamstring problem but Luke Armstrong will return to the squad after becoming a father last weekend.
Simpson says the way his side grafted to victory against Barrow last time out is the minimum requirement again today.
“That's the base – that's what you have to do every game,” he said.
“You don't get given any result, you have to go and earn it – every result is earned by hard work to start with and then you hope that ability comes through.
“That will be exactly the same this weekend. We have to earn that right and I want the players to come off absolutely shattered at the weekend – but you soon recover when you get a positive result.”
United face an MK side who have lost their first three games in league and cup despite being among the bookies’ favourites for promotion.
Carlisle last weekend bounced back from two opening defeats and Simpson said nobody will rest on their laurels now they have a win on the board.
“I don't think there was anything other than a calmness amongst the players [before Barrow], if I'm honest, but it certainly made for a calmer weekend in the Simpson household, that's for sure, because your weekends and your weeks are dictated by that Saturday result,” he said.
“Regardless of what you've done in the week leading up to it, if the result goes your way, then that's a real positive.
“So it's been a good week of training this week – whether that was because of last Saturday's result, I don't know – but the thing that we've talked about, and I talked about it with the players straight at the end of the game, was, ‘Now you don't rest, now we have to make sure that we go and make it count by going and getting two on the trot’.”
United will have another strong travelling support on their first trip to Stadium MK since December 2018, and in their seventh longest journey of the campaign at a round trip of 524 miles.
“They’ll be brilliant and they'll play a huge part,” said Simpson.
“Because it's such a big stadium and they don't get huge crowds, we've got to hope that ours will be heard and that we can put on the performance to keep them being heard.”
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