City boss Iain Dowie isn't getting carried away with the Sky Blues' impressive start to the season and says his players must keep their focus ahead of a potentially tricky Carling Cup tie away at Carlisle tonight.

Jay Tabb's first goal of the new season earned City a 1-0 victory over Cardiff on Saturday and a place at the summit of the Championship table.

But as attentions quickly turn to the Carling Cup, Dowie has set his sights on extending an unbeaten start at Brunton Park.

"We've got three wins and a draw from our first four games and that's very pleasing, but we must not get carried away," the Sky Blues chief told Sky Blues World.

"The players and all the coaching staff at the club have put a tremendous amount of effort in this season. We've engendered a good spirit and we have started to see the rewards.

"Carlisle will be a tough place to go and I expect us to keep the same kind of tempo and level of performance that we have set for ourselves to achieve week-in-week-out.

"I think we can play a lot better than we did in the first-half against Cardiff but our second-half performance was very pleasing. We have yet to play a full ninety minutes which has really pleased me, but then again, I'm a hard taskmaster."

Dowie is expected to ring the changes for the trip to Cumbria as he looks to give several players on the fringes of Saturday's starting eleven a chance to press forward their claims for a regular place in the side.

However, he could be without the services of a cluster of first-team stars, adding: "There are a few knocks and bruises from Saturday and our main concerns are Kevin Kyle, Leon Best (groin), Julian Gray and both Michael and Stephen Hughes.

"I don't think Besty will make it, which is a shame because I would have liked to have played him.

"I made a load of changes for the game against Notts County in the last round but, because of our injury concerns I don't think it will go the same way tonight."