CARLISLE have a great opportunity to make progress up the North Premier table tomorrow.

After the week’s break, in which they moved through to the County Cup final without breaking sweat, they will hopefully be refreshed for the visit of Wirral.

A number of injuries had disrupted the squad but one or two of them could be back to face the side currently lying next to bottom.

Wirral have won one and drawn one of their seven games so far, yet their minus eight-points differential is better than seven other clubs in the league, including Carlisle (minus 74).

Apart from Ilkley, who look like being cut adrift with one win and just six points, the next eight clubs are separated by just six points.

Making sure his team don’t slip up tomorrow and get back to basics, especially in defence, will be coach Matt Shields’ battle-cry ahead of the Warwick Road showdown.

The league is all-important but they do have the Cumbria Cup final to look forward to after Keswick conceded last week’s semi-final. They will play Kirkby Lonsdale on a date and at a venue to be confirmed.

Penrith haven’t been known for their success away from Winters Park but they did win at Vale of Lune recently and will want to follow up at Burnage tomorrow.

The Cumbrian are sixth in the North One West table, three points behind leaders Wilmslow and six ahead of Burnage who are sixth.

To stay in the promotion hunt Penrith have to continue to pick up points on their travels and Burnage won’t be easy.

They have scored more points than Penrith (275 to 247) and conceded fewer (196 to 198), and also have a game in hand.

Keswick conceded their County Cup semi-final because of the number of injuries they have suffered in recent weeks.

Hopefully, some of them will be back tomorrow when they travel to Altrincham Kersal.

Still searching for their first point Keswick will be hosted by a mid-table side with four wins and four defeats so far and a plus 37 points differential.

Aspatria were the only local side in action last weekend when they lost 46-10 at Kirkby Lonsdale in the County Cup.

But surviving in North Two West is their main aim to avoid a return to the Cumbria League and they have an important home game with Southport.

It’s tight down there between the bottom six - only five points separating them, with the last three all having a game in hand over the three above them.

Last week, Aspatria rested several players who had been nursing knocks and hopefully they will be able to resume against Southport.

In the Cumbria One, joint-leaders Wigton will expect to put pressure on their rivals Cockermouth as they travel to Silloth.

On form so far, that should be Wigton’s eighth league win in a row, although the fact it’s a local derby will undoubtedly lift Silloth.

Cockermouth entertain Hawcoat Park tomorrow and the south Cumbrians have done reasonably well so far, winning five of seven and their two defeats have been close-run affairs.

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