Hughes urges stricken Carlisle to stick together

Mark Hughes managed 466 games in the Premier League

Carlisle United head coach Mark Hughes is calling on everyone to "stick together" as their League Two survival hopes suffered another blow.

The 2-1 defeat at Chesterfield leaves the Blues nine points shy of safety with only six games to go.

The game at the SMH Group Stadium came at a heavy cost with Elliot Embleton sent off and three players lost to injury.

But with 22nd-placed Tranmere Rovers losing at Harrogate Town, the gap did not get any bigger.

"It's difficult for everybody but it's important we all stick together," Hughes told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"This is a game we have to draw a line under. It wasn't one where we were in a position to be on the front foot once the sending-off occurred."

On a difficult night, Carlisle lost striker Matthew Dennis before kick-off and then lost Sean Fusire and captain Sam Lavelle to injury during the game.

Embleton was given a straight red card only 11 minutes after replacing Fusire in midfield.

It means Hughes will need to assess his squad before they welcome Newport County to Brunton Park on Saturday in what is surely a must-win encounter.

"We've got less games, so that makes it more difficult but the gap hasn't changed," he said.

"We still know where we are and we'll go into the game with the view that we've got to get maximum points out of these games we've got left.

"That's always been our intention. We just haven't been able to manage it on too many occasions, that's been the problem."