Keith Curle insisted his Carlisle United side are destined for a top-10 finish – at least – after the dramatic comeback win against Yeovil.

The manager said the Blues’ status just outside the play-off places after 16 games is a sign of where they are heading.

The 3-2 victory against the struggling Glovers kept United in touch with the promotion-chasers in League Two.

The 16-game mark has often been cited by Curle as the first benchmark of progress in 2015/16.

And the Carlisle boss said: “After 16 games, we can say we’ve come a very long way in a very short space of time.

“More and more people are getting on the bus. The more people on the bus, the easier it is.

“We are in my opinion a club that is going to flirt with the play-offs. I think that’s a massive changearound from what was inherited [last season].

“That’s without getting ahead of ourselves. In my opinion we are a top 10 team. Anywhere within that top 10, we will earn the right to finish where we finish. And you never know, we could sneak third.”

United are only outside the play-off places on goal difference after a Michael Raynes double and a Macaulay Gillesphey strike earned them victory.

That came after a dire start which saw Yeovil go 2-0 up inside eight minutes at Brunton Park.

After the seventh league win of the season, Curle also claimed Carlisle will benefit the longer they stick with him as their manager.

The United boss, who admitted part of his current deal at Brunton Park remains unsigned, said: “I like building teams and football clubs. I’ve had the opportunity before, I’ve been able to take clubs to a certain level, and then for various reasons, I’ve parted company.

“What you find then is those clubs, in a short period of time afterwards, fail. They get relegated and slump down leagues, because the expectancy that’s been brought in does demand results.

“I know at the minute I’m at a club that’s in a good place, because there’s an honesty and a good working relationship with all parties here, with an aim to improve.”

Curle, who declared himself happy with the display of debutant defender Mark Ellis, admitted Carlisle still have work to do at the back following Yeovil’s early double.

But he added: “It’s got to be a credit to the changing room for how many times we’ve come from behind.

“We’re not happy about giving goals away and it’s something we will continually work on, but the spirit – being able to get the result out of an uphill battle – shows something is growing in the dressing room.

“Some harsh words were said at half-time. I wasn’t happy, because of how we started the game. We wanted to play but we’ve got to earn the right to play, and we didn’t do that.

“We got a slap on the backside by Yeovil. But the football club is changing, and for the better.”