United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 1-0 League One win at home to Colchester, Abbott saying that it was a difficult game for the Blues to win :
JP
A great deal to say after that one to the players? Just a cracking performance?
GA
Yeah, just to say just how difficult games are to win in this league this season, Colchester came and they made life very difficult for us. Obviously, they got a beating last week and we knew they would be tough and we knew they would be resilient. In the second-half we think we have done the hard bit in the first-half against a horrendous wind and then we never really capitalised on that.
But, I think we put in a tremendous amount of effort in the first-half, I thought the first-half performance was excellent in the conditions. But, that is what we were saying to the lads, that is how difficult games are to win and you have got to go right to the wire and one slip or one lack of concentration and you take one point away rather than three. Today we have managed to see the game out and that is really important that we have got that win off the back of last week's defeat.
JP
When you are working out your tactics for a game do you ever look at the weather forecast?
GA
Erm, not really, not really. What we did say was that we need to try to pass the ball and keep it on the floor, and I think first-half Colchester played long, played high and didn't get much joy, in the second-half they passed it a little bit better and got more joy. But, the best bit of play to be fair in the whole of the game was the piece of play with the goal that ended up winning us the game. So, it just shows you that the conditions are only the conditions if you let them be and let them affect the game, but today that piece of play was terrific and was good enough to win the game.
JP
You would imagine having that horrendous wind in your face would make it harder, but both teams actually managed to cope a little bit better going into the wind when the ball was perhaps holding up for them a bit more?
GA
Yeah, I mean, listen, it is a testimony to both teams the way they have tried to play. It is not just the rain, the wind is the key, the rain is OK, the wind is horrendous. But, it is one of them, it was going to be tight, it was going to be edgy, games and points are hard to win and hard to come by in this league. The key at the end of it was coming out of this game with a win which sort of rectifies last week, let's see if we can go on another seven or eight game run, and if we keep doing that every time we get beat then we will end up around the top part of the league, which I think is what everybody is hopeful of and which is what we are trying so hard to try to achieve.
JP
At full-time in commentary Chris Lumsdon said that you will be every inch as happy with this as you would be with a three or four-nil win because of the nature of the battle to get the three points today. Is that how you feel?
GA
I think Lummy has learnt more since he stopped playing than he ever did when he was a player, he is absolutely right. But, listen, he is a good lad and he understands the game and he understands how I work and he understands how the club works. So, he knows the importance, and at the end of the day you lose 5-0 or you win 5-0 then you only lose three points or win three points. Today we won 1-0 and got the same amount of points, and it wasn't a classic but in the conditions I think both sets of players did ever so well, and we are just delighted to get the win.
JP
Chris Chantler not quite ready to be in there with the first-team squad just yet?
GA
No, we did say when we spoke to you, he is one that we think can develop and improve and get round, he is a really, really nice footballer on the eye. But, the pace of this game and the levels of physicality are high and he has only been with us a couple of weeks. In time hopefully he will improve and he will get to where we need him to be and take part.
JP
And I know Paddy Madden is chomping at the bit now, he is starting to return to fitness, how far is he off maybe being involved?
GA
Yeah, he is close, he is really close, it was a toss up between him and one of the others on the bench today. But, he has only had really a seven or eight day full training stint so there is plenty of time for Paddy as well.
JP
Very tough at the back for your back line today, Kayode Odejayi is always a handful, he looked as confident as I have seen him in recent seasons actually, a big effort from (Peter) Murphy and (Lubomir) Michalik and Lubo got the sponsors' man of the match today?
GA
Yeah, certainly in the first-half I thought the back four were absolutely terrific, second-half Matty (Robson) is overplaying a few balls, I thought in the first-half Matty was exceptional and (Christian) Ribeiro was terrific all game, looks really solid, comfortable, growing into that position and growing into the club and we were well pleased with all four of them. Lubo and Murph coped very well against a tough opponent.
JP
Peter Murphy, you were there at the launch of his testimonial year on Friday, what a servant he has been to this club and continues to do so?
GA
Yeah, I mean he finds a way of finding performances and finding a level of consistency that gets him in the team. That is the type of attitude and the type of character we want throughout the club, and in every disappointment he has had he has bounced back and found a way, and he is in the team on merit now and doing ever so well.
JP
I am sure you would have liked to have closed up or even into the play-offs with the victory today but you are still two points away, but had you lost you would have been five points away, so it shows the value of just clinging on in there?
GA
Yeah, honest, I keep telling you that it doesn't matter what happens in the first 25 games, it is what happens from 30 to 46 really that really makes or breaks you. We can't keep losing, losing too much ground, if you get to be two or three wins behind the top six then it is going to be a struggle. But, if we can keep on to the shirt-tails then it gives us a fighting chance, but we said come the middle of January if we are still there where we are round-about now then we would be really pleased, and then a push for the end of the year.
JP
And I am sure you are happy to be in this position going into your FA Cup tie next weekend, you can just put the league to one side for that game?
GA
Yeah, I think we have got a performance to show the people at Charlton that we are not the team that showed up there a few weeks back. We are a better team than that and hopefully we will give a better account of ourselves next week.
JP
Looking forward to that one? The fans will be I am sure?
GA
Yeah, absolutely, we want to put.............. I thought we weren't very good that day and every mistake that you would possibly want to make you made in one game. But, I think we have got to go back there with that belief that we have got from the run we have had, two (defeats) in eleven or something like that, and make life more difficult and gain a bit more respect, because I want people saying good things about us.
JP
And just a final one, with all focus on a new stadium and the fans and what they want to do etc., on a wretched horrible day four and a half thousand turning out here to support you is not a bad effort?
GA
I think it was a great effort, I think four and a half thousand in the weather and the conditions, brilliant. We know if we can get through, we have only got one more home game I think, league game, before Christmas and we think we will have a capacity against Sheffield United, we are going for 17,000.