Kavanagh heads Carlisle shortlist

Carlisle are drawing up a second shortlist for the vacant manager's job with caretaker boss Graham Kavanagh heading the list.

Kavanagh, youth-team coach David Irons and goalkeeping coach Tony Caig were placed in temporary charge of the first team last week when Greg Abbott was sacked. Kavanagh confirmed he wanted the job after guiding the Cumbrians to their first win of the season against Sheffield United on Saturday and appears in the box-seat, while the club's managing director John Nixon confirmed some "well-known names" had applied for the post. "As we said at the beginning of last week, ideally we would have been in a position to make a permanent appointment ahead of this Saturday's game (at Stevenage)," Nixon said in a club statement. "However, we reviewed the list of applicants on Thursday afternoon and at that point we drew up an extended shortlist - which included Graham Kavanagh - of seven people. "They were invited to the Sheffield United game and a number of them sent representatives to look at the fixture on their behalf. "Over the course of the weekend we received another 14 applications, all of which have to be looked at closely. "Those applications are currently being discussed by our board of directors and we expect to have a second shortlist finalised by Thursday morning. "With this late run of applications we have decided to extend the selection process to make sure that it is completed as thoroughly and as fairly as possible. "We should be at the interview stage during the early part of next week and all being well, will be able to make an announcement when that part of the selection process has drawn to a close." Nixon added: "The standard of applicant is very high. There are some well-known names included and there are a lot of factors to be considered. "I would say that Graham Kavanagh is the sitting tenant and he has placed himself in a strong position with the work he and his staff have done so far."