Mike Williamson says Carlisle United’s recent battling results have put extra “fire in our bellies” for the challenges ahead.

The Blues, having scored late on to claim a win and a draw against Salford City and Bromley, now host high-flying Doncaster Rovers.

Head coach Williamson concedes United feel in better shape to take on one of League Two’s top sides than they would have been a few short weeks ago.

“I think that's fair to say,” he said.

“Football is largely to do with feeling and emotion, and the illusory words we talk about are momentum and confidence and whatnot, but it just means you go into it with a good feeling.

“It doesn't detract away from how hard it's going to be and how good [Doncaster] are, and the challenges that they're going to pose, but I just think it puts a fire in our belly, and off the back of the last few performances it brings confidence.”

Carlisle are now seeking only a second home win of the season and a first under Williamson.

The Cumbrians have shown character to score late in games on their last two league afternoons.

Williamson said both occasions offered a clear lift to players and fans.

On Dan Adu-Adjei’s last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Bromley, he said: “I think it was a different range of emotions in terms of the Salford game, which was a real hard-fought game that we had to come through, and then to feel that elation was fantastic for the fans more than anyone, because we know how tough it's been for them.

“For the lads as well, it was brilliant.

“I thought the frustrating thing [last] weekend was we didn't feel as though we deserved to be behind, so [the equaliser] was really just more of a release of what we felt we deserved in the game.

“The positive side was the mentality that we just wanted to keep pushing – even with limited minutes left we wanted to go forward and we wanted to recreate that feeling of Salford [with a winner], but it wasn't meant to be.”