Can Blues inflict seven successive league defeats on Cheltenham?

A manager we know well from his Brentford days, he has had mixed results Whaddon Road. 3 wins (2 of those in cups), 3 draws and 8 defeats, including six league fixtures on the trot for the first time in their history.

Cheltenham are now six points from safety, which is effectively seven due to their inferior goal difference.

But Allen is adamant that the Robins are showing signs of improvement and that more positive results are on the horizon: "The players gave everything they have got, there is no doubt about that. They could have done better in the final third, but overall they had a real go and I can take that. I couldn't take that last week, (3-0 defeat at Hereford), but they worked their socks off and it's coming. There have been huge amounts of changes and I knew it was going to take time, but they are moving in the right direction. We are looking a better unit and a better team, tightening up and starting to gel. We are not looking like a side that's going to be rolled over and battered, which is a start."

Allen confirmed he was still hoping to make at least one more signing before the loan deadline passes on Thursday, with a striker likely to be his overriding priority: "I am still working hard to improve it, but it takes time and it costs money."

Robins striker Lloyd Owusu was granted permission to leave Cumbria on Saturday evening to attend the birth of his daughter, who arrived in the early hours of Saturday. Allen said: "Football is a job, not a matter of life or death, and there was no way I was going to stop Lloyd leaving to be with his young lady. He had the choice to do what he wanted to do and I am delighted for him."

They were sunk at Brunton Park by a goal from the best player on the pitch by some distance, Graham Kavanagh. The Ireland international midfielder is on loan at Carlisle from Sunderland and he showed frequent glimpses of his Premier League quality. His decisive strike arrived in the 64th minute and came at the end of a sweeping move that he initiated deep inside his own half. Kavanagh carried the ball into Cheltenham's territory at pace and found Simon Hackney on the left. Goalkeeper Scott Brown could only push Hackney's low cross-shot out as far as Kavanagh, who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net.

Former Robins loan defender Richard Keogh went as close as anyone to scoring another for Carlisle when he smashed a shot against the bar from four yards out, but he also had Cheltenham's most notable attempt on goal. Late in the first half, Keogh headed Alan Wright's long ball against his own bar, but Cheltenham failed to create many significant goalscoring opportunities themselves.

Shorn of Lloyd Owusu, and with Damian Spencer, Ashley Vincent and Elvis Hammond all working their way back to peak fitness, Cheltenham offered little going forward. In similar style to Tuesday's FA Cup success at Oldham, the defence looked solid, with Andy Gallinagh performing well at centre-back alongside Drissa Diallo, left-back Alan Wright returning to his best and David Bird looking comfortable at right-back. The midfield four worked hard, but were frequently bypassed as Paul Connor and Hammond were denied quality service, and when the starting front pair did receive the ball they failed to retain possession often enough.

Lee Ridley's long throws were Cheltenham's most dangerous attacking weapon and Allen will be fully aware of the need to recruit a proven line-leader in attack. He faces a vitally important month in January when the transfer window opens and all he can do until then is work hard to ensure the gap between his team and 20th place is not already insurmountable.

Cheltenham's gruelling schedule continues with a home match against Southend United tomorrow night and an FA Cup second round visit to League Two outfit Morecambe on Saturday.

CHELTENHAM TOWN: S Brown; D Bird, D Diallo, A Gallinagh, A Wright (D Spencer 80); S Murray (A Vincent 58), L Montrose (J Payne 87), I Westlake, L Ridley; E Hammond, P Connor. Subs not used: S Higgs, D Kenton.

(Player ratings supplied by the Gloucestershire Echo)

BROWN - 6; Made the same mistake he made at MK Dons, but other than that coped well.

BIRD - 7; Seems to look the part at right back at the moment. Has good pace and reads the game.

WRIGHT - 7; Good in possession once more, and won many challenges.

GALLINAGH - 7; Complements Diallo well as he covers while the big man challenges aerially.

DIALLO - 7; Made several good challenges and won headers he needed to.

MURRAY - 6; Criminally underused by Cheltenham as he was our most creative midfielder.

WESTLAKE - 7; Impressed me more than he has so far. Good on the ball and won tackles.

MONTROSE - 7; Drifted in and out of the game, but more confident than he has been. Perhaps a goal has done him good.

RIDLEY - 7; He is starting to become something of a cult hero. Good in possession, but slow.

HAMMOND - 7; Lively every time he got the ball. Will score at this level.

CONNOR - 6; Ineffective by and large and the one chance he had, he ducked out of.

SUBS: SPENCER 6 (for Wright, 80); High profile as ever, but no threat to Carlisle.

VINCENT 6 (for Murray, 57); Couldn't get a run at the defenders.

PAYNE 7 (for Montrose, 86); Brief cameo, but got Cheltenham on the front foot

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Played 16: Won 5 Drawn 4 Lost 7.