Dobie is enjoying his first injury-free pre-season in three years

Carlisle United manager John Ward has praised Scott Dobie after the striker scored his third pre-season goal in the 3-1 win at Chester on Tuesday night.

Dobie opened the scoring for the League One Cumbrians on 36 minutes to follow his two-goal haul in the 4-0 victory over Kendal Town.

"Strikers want to score goals so that will give him a confidence boost," Ward told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"Scott's got three in three games now and that's really pleasing."

The 29-year-old, who re-joined the Cumbrians from Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window, is undergoing his first injury-free pre-season in three years.

If you are fit physically, you are fitter mentally as well and that's a key thing we try to get across to the team Carlisle boss John Ward

"It will do his confidence a lot of good and his fitness levels as well," Ward said.

"If you are fit physically, you are fitter mentally as well and that's a key thing we try to get across to the team."

Gary Madine and Simon Hackney were also on target for Carlisle in the win at the Saunders Honda Stadium to cancel out Kevin Ellison's equaliser.

Dobie, a former Scotland international, began his career at Brunton Park before spells with Clydebank, West Brom, Millwall and Forest.

His three seasons at the City Ground were blighted by injury, making only 21 starts for the club before falling out of favour with manager Colin Calderwood.

Dobie scored four times in 10 starts for Carlisle last season.