Carlisle United boss says his side are out to "spoil" Derby County promotion party

Derby County have the chance to earn promotion to the Championship on Saturday as they face bottom of the league Carlisle United.

The Rams just need at least a draw to go up, and could earn promotion with a loss assuming other results go their way.

Paul Warne’s side face a Carlisle side who were relegated over a week ago and so they will be playing for pride.

Carlisle manager Paul Simpson used to play for Derby back in the mid 1990s. He’ll have the chance to make things tense for his former team.

Speaking to The Cumberland News, he said: “I just hope the players rise to the occasion.

“When you dream of being a footballer you don’t dream of one man and his dog watching you, you dream about playing in packed houses, proper football stadiums, and Pride Park is a proper football stadium.

“They’ve got everything to play for. We’re going there to try and spoil it for them and I hope we can do ourselves justice; whoever is fit and selected to play has to go and prepare to stand up and be counted.”

The game on Saturday will be an extra special occasion as the clash will be shown live on Sky Sports, kicking off at 12:30pm.

“You have to want to go into that sort of environment, and not shy away from it,” he said, “you have to want to go into a 30-odd thousand stadium and show what you’re about.”

Paul Warne will be hoping that Derby can overcome the challenge of Carlisle and end the day having earnt promotion.