U's manager Joe Dunne spoke to BBC Radio Essex after his side's 1-1 League One draw at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, Dunne saying the home side created opportunities galore:
“We felt if we moved the ball as quickly as we can then we would get opportunities, and we had opportunities galore. We have just said to the players it is a shame that we couldn’t convert when we had so many chances, they are disappointed. We are due a heavy win with our play, with our chances that we are creating, we are just missing the ball going into the back of the net.
“I will take on board that once or twice we can probably shoot from the edge of the box a bit quicker than make an extra pass, but we will look at that over the coming days. But, I can’t fault the players one bit tonight, I thought we were outstanding. We were peppering their box and their keeper (Mark Gillespie) was making saves and we were getting into excellent positions. I thought they were hanging on but great credit to them, they hung on in there.
“But, I think if we had got that second goal then I think we would have gone on and scored more goals. There was only one side chasing the win at the end and I would rather that, it’s not as if we haven’t gone out and struggled against Carlisle tonight. We have gone out and played I think some really exhilarating football, I think some really quick football and there was some good quality on show tonight.
“I thought the first-half was end-to-end, I thought they hit us on the break two or three times, which great credit to them. But, I thought that was through us with our passing being OK in the first-half, but it wasn’t like it was in the second-half. We passed the ball square too many times at the high end of the pitch, but like I said, I thought the response from the players was excellent."
“Carlisle had nothing to lose coming here tonight, like I keep telling people, that is the best team they have been able to get out. It is a great opportunity now for them to kick-start their season, but I am really disappointed we haven’t won the game, but we are going to win a lot more games playing like that I will tell you.
“I think what we have to get here and what you guys have to understand is that we are playing with players now who when they play with the clubs they have been with there has been extra quick passes to get in. What we are used to in the lower leagues is that bit more directness, and when we make that extra pass to get in sometimes people can feel frustrated that it didn’t happen earlier.
“But, I think what we have got to understand is that these guys have got the ability to make those one or two extra passes quick and get in. We have seen that tonight and when you are 1-0 down the mindset is different because people start to think to get the ball forward quickly, or get the ball up there quicker, come on, come on. These guys are used to that patient play and I think we should embrace the fact that we never lumped it once tonight at 1-0 down against a team from the bottom of the league.
“We are still passing it forward from the goalkeeper and that is what we want to encourage. It must be better to look at, it must be better to look at, there is no desperation about our play, there was never any desperation about our play, not once tonight. In seasons gone past we were desperate and there would be another big man upfront and it would be getting lumped, but I was really proud of what we did tonight in terms of keeping the ball down.”