Keeper Dan Hanford hopes he has done enough to get the nod for his first league start of the season for Carlisle United this weekend.

The gloveman was promoted to the side for last weekend’s FA Cup tie at Plymouth – and responded with a clean-sheet.

Now the Welsh keeper is eager to retain his place for Saturday’s trip to Bristol Rovers, where regular No1 Mark Gillespie will be hoping to return.

Hanford, who made 25 appearances last season, was not involved in United’s 2-1 reserve friendly win at Fleetwood yesterday as boss Keith Curle weighs up his first-team options.

The former Hereford man said: “I’ve had to be very patient, it’s been frustrating at times, but credit to Mark – he’s been doing well in goal and so have the team, so you can’t expect things to be changed that much.

“But I got the nod last weekend, the day before the game, to say I was going to be given a chance, and the gaffer wanted me to take it. That’s all I need and all I wanted.

“It felt just like last year when I made my debut for Carlisle and kept a clean sheet.

“I just want the staff to carry on backing me as they are. It would be a tough decision whether they want to put Mark in or me [at Bristol Rovers].

“We defended great and attacked well [at Plymouth] and I kept another clean sheet, so hopefully I do get the nod for Saturday as well.”

Hanford believes United’s triumph at Home Park should be a platform for further progress in the league.

And the 24-year-old believes eighth-placed Carlisle are benefiting from a closer team spirit than in his first campaign at Brunton Park.

He added: “It was a true grit performance at Plymouth – everyone was putting in tackles, tracking back, and defending excellently. We need to put a big foot on that stepping stone now and carry it on into the league.

“Everyone gets on great. It’s more of a tight-knit togetherness than last year. We all know exactly what we want and which direction we’re going in.”

Fit-again striker Jabo Ibehre came through 45 minutes of yesterday’s second-string game at Fleetwood, where Curle ran the rule over four unnamed trialists.

Angelo Balanta, Alex McQueen, Courtney Meppen-Walter, Patrick Brough, Luke Joyce, Steven Rigg, Joe Thompson, Kevin Osei and youngsters Morgan Bacon, Rhys Thompson and Matt Douglas were involved.

Rigg and a trialist scored for United, with QPR defender Addison Garnett understood to be among the hopefuls involved.

Alex Gilliead, meanwhile, was a substitute for England’s Under-20s as they lost 4-3 in France.

Carlisle have missed out on a TV windfall in the FA Cup after their second round tie at Welling United was overlooked for live broadcast.

The televised games will be Salford City v Hartlepool, Rochdale v Bury and Grimsby v Shrewsbury, with each club receiving £72,000.

The date and time for Carlisle’s trip to Park View Road has yet to be confirmed.

Former United youth boss Eric Kinder is taking first-team training at Blackburn after the sacking of manager Gary Bowyer.