Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson believes his players excelled in the "ugly" part of the game to defeat Bristol Rovers on Saturday.
Kristian Dennis scored the only goal at Brunton Park, tapping in with 18 minutes to play to dent the Gas' promotion hopes and continue the Cumbrian's resurgence under former Bristol City coach Simpson.
Rovers controlled possession and had themselves to blame for their profligacy, but they were also met by a stubborn and dogged Carlisle that has been galvanised by Simpson, who was part of the Robins' coaching staff under Dean Holden and Nigel Pearson in 2021. The 55-year-old, who led Carlisle to two promotions as player-manager from 2003-06, has won six of the first seven games of his second spell in charge.
