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" It will be a tough game for us. People will talk about Cleveland Taylor returning. I don't think he'll start the game but he'll be involved somewhere. They narrowly missed out on promotion last season. Their goal this year will be to go one step further. They're unbeaten at this moment in time as well, so it bodes for an excellent game of football. We're doing well ourselves though and we will strive to get another win.
" I've been delighted with the players who we brought into the building in recent months. Losing Kenny Milne was a big blow for us because he brought a presence and is a quality football player, so hopefully he'll be back for the January period.
" Gary Hooper has gone and scored a few goals, and he is obviously a quality player. We've tracked him since the day we played Leyton Orient a couple of seasons ago when we won the League One championship, and he was a right thorn in our side that day.
" We've tracked him ever since and, straight away after Martin Paterson left, we moved to bring him into the building. He's formed a great partnership with Paul Hayes, who is - again - another quality football player.
" Sam Togwell has come in and did so well to set-up the fourth goal last weekend. We called him 'Dogwell' when he came in because we wanted someone who would be ratting around on the pitch. David Mirfin has come in and formed a great partnership with Krystian Pearce at the back, who was top drawer for England U19's the other night. For a young 18-year-old he's done very well.
" We're very happy with all the players we've brought into the building. We're also seeing the best of Grant McCann - it didn't quite work for him last season, but this year he is proving what a quality football player he is for us."
" Promotion is my goal. I clearly set out at the start of the season before we even kicked a ball that my goal for this season is to win the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and to get promoted. That's what we're setting out to do. It's our goal for the season, and it's what we intend to do."
Meanwhile Iron defender Cliff Byrne commented to the Scunthorpe Telegraph :
"It'll be a tough game as they're on a good run of form, as we are, so hopefully it will make for a good football game. They'll believe they can come and get something but we're on the back of four wins so we'll be going out to make it a fifth.
"They seem to have that bit of belief running through their team but equally we've got a good base and we'll be hard to beat at home. I think Carlisle will bring a good crowd down and hopefully - as our last few games have been away from home so the fans haven't had a chance - and with the results we've had, they'll come out in force against Carlisle and get behind us.
"Your home supporters have an expectation of you to win and to do anything in this league your home form has got to be strong. We've got to aim to improve on that and build on it as we did before and hopefully the fans will get right behind us and believe in us as well."
In team news for Scunthorpe, their captain Izzy Iriekpen is now back in full training after being sidelined recently with a troublesome groin problem. Meanwhile another defender, in veteran centre-half and assistant manager Andy Crosby is also still working his way back to full fitness after suffering from tendinitis in his knee.
Knees in the back four seem to be the big problem in North Lincolnshire as finally on the injury front right-back Joe Wilcox (patellar tendinitis) and centre-half Kenny Milne (cartilage problem) will not feature in the match. Last but not least midfielder Kevan Hurst is now available after missing the Iron's 4-1 win at Brighton last weekend due to a family bereavement.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Mike Thorpe from Ipswich in Suffolk, and he will be assisted down the lines by Adrian Holmes from Pontefract in West Yorkshire and Dave Naylor from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. Meanwhile the fourth official is Rob Madley from Ossett in West Yorkshire.