Greg Abbott On The Brighton Win

Last updated : 14 February 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Blues boss Greg Abbott
United manager Greg Abbott spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey after Carlisle's 2-0 win at Brighton this afternoon, Abbott describing a defensive clean sheet for the Blues at the Withdean Stadium as priceless :


" We are pleased, we are pleased with what we are trying to do, we are pleased with how we are playing, we are pleased with the improvement that we are making. Progress is judged isn't it and today is a big, big progression on what we have been doing. In the first-half especially I thought that we were absolutely outstanding and it is how we want to play the game.

" We will not always be able to produce that because good teams in this league will stop you doing it but I thought that we were excellent in the first-half and could have been out of sight by even more. I think that we had been in this situation before hadn't we that we need to maybe curtail some of the attacking play and be really solid in the second-half.

" We still thought that if we were going to be really solid that we would get chances, and Joe Anyinsah has had a smashing chance again that got cleared off the line. What we said though was that we were going to be hard to beat, we are not going to give this away and we are not going to give them any encouragement cheaply.

" We wanted to be thoroughly professional and win the game and that is what we have done. We have kept a clean sheet as well which in our situation is priceless for us in what we are trying to achieve.The defence were a little bit shaky just into the second-half where we got a bit anxious. These are players though that are so determined to do well, they are a really good set of honest players. "



" They want to do well so much and at times it works against them, but I thought that after that initial spell at the start of the second-half we were really comfortable. Ben (Williams) has come and collected his crosses and dealt with everything that he had to deal with. I think that we have probably run out comfortable winners in the end without being biased.

" It wasn't a difficult decision to keep Evan Horwood in because you have got to reward players. He was terrific on Tuesday night, I can't destroy him, where is his future with us if I am going to pull him out after a game like that. If he had three or four games like everybody else then he is susceptible to losing his place.

" He was outstanding on Tuesday night, the best game that he has had for a long, long time, mind you it is the only game that he has had for a long, long time if you know what I mean. He is back to somewhere like his best now though, I thought that today again it was a terrific performance defending at that far-post and when he gets the ball he has got some quality.

" We have been talking about competition for places and I think that keeps everybody on their toes. David Raven is in a competition now because Tony Kane has come in and done terrifically. We wanted Kav (Graham Kavanagh) back and I think that in the first-half Kav and Thir (Paul Thirlwell) actually ran the show, I thought that they were outstanding in the middle of the park. "



" We need it, Lummy (Chris Lumsdon) is coming back to fitness, he was terrific for me on Tuesday night with all the time that he has had out and he found it difficult when he found out that wasn't he playing. He deals with it though because he is a great character and he is a player that we want around the place.

" Joe Anyinsah has destroyed them in the first-half. The three of them, Joe with his pace and power is terrific, Lewis (Neal) with his ability on the ball and his creativeness is terrific, he will get better, he hasn't played as many games as Joe, he will get better. Tony Kane, 21-years old, been playing in Blackburn's reserves was absolutely outstanding. He has come in and done a man's job and looked a man.

" That is really encouraging and we are going to continue to work hard to find these players and bring them in and hopefully make things better. We will go wrong with some but hopefully we will be right with most. I think that today has proved that things are looking better, they are looking promising and we want to keep winning and keep improving and finish this season with a right blast.

" You never know where it might take us if we can keep the form that we are showing, and the performances and the results ticking along, you never know, but I thought that today was really pleasing. Consistency is this league in a nutshell isn't it, we, like a number of other teams, haven't shown it you know. "



" I think that in the past few weeks though, take away the half at Tranmere and the performance against Colchester then we have shown tremendous consistency. Our results are improving and our points tally is totting up nicely now. So I am going to be encouraged by things, I have told the players that there is still work to do, I think that there is a lot of improvement still to be made, but I think that we are making progress, I really do.

" We do do our homework on new players and that is why we are out. Dennis (Booth) is watching three games Monday and Tuesday, one on Monday, two on Tuesday, one in the afternoon and one on the night-time. I will be out again on Tuesday, I will be out again on Wednesday, Graham Kavanagh has joined the fray as well and he will be out on Wednesday on his day off.

" We are working hard for the football club because we want to be successful and we are hungry to make the thing better. There is a lot of determination going around and we have our frustrating performances but through sheer hard work and honesty, I hope that everybody at this club takes it forward and takes part in the success. If we bring some success to the club then the fans can enjoy that as well.

" I haven't got enough good words for the travelling fans today, they are absolutely outstanding. They stand and clap you off at half-time and they stand and clap you off at full-time. To be fair even when we are getting beat sometimes, they stand and clap you off when they have travelled distances in numbers. They are absolutely fantastic and they don't know how we much we value their support, especially the Withdean Stadium on a Valentine's Day, there is romance in the air but not for 221 Carlisle fans, no romance today I'm afraid. "