Greg Abbott On The Brighton Game

Last updated : 24 September 2006 By Thetashkentterror

Greg Abbott
United first-team coach Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Saturday evening as he gave his thoughts on the 3-1 win over Brighton. Abbott talking about the injury to Paul Murray and the mood in the Carlisle camp :


" It was a terrific win, we thought it would be a really tough game, Brighton have had a few good results just lately. The caretaker manager Dean Wilkins is after the job full-time and he has got his team playing and getting results so we looked upon this as a really tough game. We're delighted, absolutely delighted to come away with a win.

" They had to improve in the second-half because we battered them in the first-half, we were all over them, we dominated them totally and scored two good goals. We could have had two or three more easily, then it's natural just to sit back a little bit and take your foot off the gas. We invited a little bit of pressure which they gave us and we dealt with it reasonably well for most of the game. Simon's (Hackney) goal was at a terrific time for us and we went on to play some really good football until the mistake for the goal.

" All I know is that yesterday he (Paul Murray) wasn't happy with it, his knee has swollen up a bit and we are awaiting a medical report. I don't know the extent and I think that it will be a doctor's appointment before he finds out what is actually wrong with it, I couldn't tell you any more than that at the moment.

" It makes the Bradford and Forest results fantastic now because we've got the three points today, if we hadn't got the three points today then three draws is like a slight setback, a knock-back. We keep the momentum rolling with that today and we go into Tuesday now really optimistic that we can get another three points, but we're on the right lines. "



" It would be nice to get a goal in the first ten minutes every game but it doesn't always happen like that, teams don't always let you do it do they. It gets you off to a good start though, it's a long way from Brighton, they aren't great travellers the Southerners, I always think that to come this far up North is always a little bit of an advantage to be at home. We pressed that home with the early goal and from then on we really dominated the rest of the first-half and got the next one which makes the rest of the game slightly easier for you.

" I thought that it (the third goal) was a wonderful goal, if it was the other way round we'd have been happy with it, Simon crossing for Karl (Hawley). Karl has got a great cross in though and it's a centre-forward's header, right back across the goal and into the corner. It was fantastic for him because we were having a bit of a go at him yesterday for not scoring goals, so he ran straight across and told me in no uncertain terms that he was happy with himself.

" This game has gone now, that's history. The manager (Neil McDonald) has been straight to the players and told them to look after themselves for the weekend, refuel properly, don't go out, look after your body, and make sure we are right and prepared for the game on Tuesday. It's a massive game on Tuesday, if we can get a result on Tuesday then everything that we have done over the last three to four weeks really does pay off. Everything now is geared towards Tuesday night's game.

" The mood in the dressing-room is brilliant as you would expect. It's buoyant anyway, we're a bright group, managers and staff mix really well together and everybody is happy with each other at the moment. I think you can see that with the way everybody is about the place, it's nice now I've retired because you can enjoy yourself a little bit more. We'll be totally focused though, as a group of staff we go along with the players as well, if they are right then we'll be right. We will enjoy a quiet glass of wine with a meal somewhere tonight I suppose but from tomorrow morning onwards it will be all eyes towards Blackpool. "