Mark Hughes admits Carlisle need to improve decision-making in front of goal

Mark Hughes admitted that his Carlisle side need to improve their decision-making in front of goal after they drew another blank in a 0-0 draw with fellow League Two strugglers Gillingham.

It was an end-to-end game, which could have brought plenty of goals on any other day, with there being a hatful of chances created by both teams.

Carlisle, who have the joint-worst goals tally in the league with just 23 in 32 games, are now five points adrift of safety and the attacking aspect of the Blues’ game is something that is frustrating Hughes.

He said: “We’re getting into situations in the game where we can take it away from the opposition, those key moments and those opportunities we’re able to create, we just need to take.

“It’s frustrating, we just need that clarity of thought at key moments, whether that be with a shot or a pass.

“It’s just about making those decisions during the game and making them correctly, we’ve got to improve that aspect of our play.”

Despite Carlisle’s winless run extending to six games, Hughes was pleased with his side’s performance.

He added: “It was a decent performance against a team that is really difficult to break down.

“We created some good chances, we’re starting to change the team. Today we changed the personnel, we tried something a bit different, a couple of different formations and later on in the game we forced the issue, so it’s given me food for thought in terms of the lads that can do the job I ask them to.”

Gillingham boss John Coleman had a similar feeling as his side created plenty of chances and Elliott Nevitt had a shot that cannoned off the crossbar, which Coleman thought had gone over the line.

He said: “I thought we were excellent in the first half, we could have scored a couple of goals, well we did score a goal but it’s difficult to complain about that, the linesman wasn’t in a great position to give it, but I think it just went over the line.

“Second half, we started off in the same vein, making chances. We lost our way a little bit in the last 15 minutes. They had a couple of chances, but that’s when you’ve got to knuckle down and make sure you come away with something.”

Despite coming away from Brunton Park with a point, Coleman is desperate to get that elusive win as the Gills’ winless run extended to 12 games.

He added: “The support were great once again, we’re desperate to get that win for them. It feels as though we’re cursed. On any other given day, it’s not an issue.

“We’ve got to focus on what we can do, we have been having absolutely zero luck, well we are, we’re having lots of luck, bad luck.”