Hughes 'convinced' Carlisle can secure EFL survival

Mark Hughes has collected six points from his eight games with Carlisle

Carlisle United boss Mark Hughes remains "convinced" the club can still stay up in League Two despite their desperate predicament.

Carlisle are nine points from safety with 10 matches to go, although they do have a game in hand on Tranmere Rovers, who are 22nd.

Hughes has only seen victory in one of the eight games since he replaced Mike Williamson as head coach last month but, starting at home to Bromley on Saturday (15:00 GMT), the ex-Wales manager believes there is time to turn things around.

"There are things we have to do correctly and a lot of things we have to do absolutely on the money, but with a little bit of luck, we can do it, I'm absolutely convinced of that," Hughes told BBC Radio Cumbria.

Carlisle's 20-year stay in the English Football League hangs by a thread, with the Brunton Park outfit staring at a second successive relegation.

They have not managed successive league wins all season, won only two out of 18 home games and scored just 26 goals - the lowest in the division with an average of 0.72 goals per game.

But while all the statistics point against them, Hughes insists that all is not lost.

"We've faced different types of teams in my games in charge but none of them have been markedly better than us," said the 61-year-old.

"We haven't been able to get results against those teams, clearly, but there is nothing in the league we should be afraid of.

"We just have to get our noses in front - that's the key for us. We go behind and the scars of previous games, and maybe previous seasons, makes things difficult for us.

"It's quite simple, we have to show a good response and bounce back."