Simmo Talks About The Wrexham Victory

Last updated : 18 December 2005 By Thetashkentterror

Simmo speaks
United player-manager Paul Simpson spoke exclusively to BBC Radio Cumbria on Saturday evening as he gave his thoughts on the 2-1 home victory over Wrexham that keeps the Blues in third place in the League Two table :


" Never say die spirit is not a bad habit to get into and not a bad habit to have in your armoury if you’ve got that sort of attitude that we don’t say that we’re not going to get back into it and we keep fighting and keep working.

" I think today was a game where I don’t really think either team deserved to lose. I thought Wrexham played very well and they had their own little chances. We probably could have had more out of our opportunities in the first-half but I’m absolutely delighted to win today.

" I knew it was going to be a tough game. It’s always difficult when you get the crowd turning up in their numbers and that pressure starts to get on you because you want to stay in the top places but it’s a big, big win for us to take into the next one.

" I think their penalty gave us a kick up the backside. I know it was very close after half-time but I didn’t feel as though we’d started very well anyway. I was disappointed with the defending, there was such a massive gap for (Darren) Ferguson to get through the middle.

" I have to say that I thought Lummy (Chris Lumsdon) made a great tackle and to be fair to Darren Ferguson he didn’t appeal for it and he turned to the referee and said – "it’s never a penalty". Maybe that’s why the referee didn’t send Lummy off because I think if it’s a penalty then normally he would have to go. "



" However we rallied from there, the crowd got a lift from going a goal down as stupid as it sounds and the players got a lift. We were more positive then and we took the game to them, we showed again when it’s backs against the wall and the situation doesn’t look too good that we’ve got the character to come through.

" You have to take any kind of equaliser when you are behind. If you put bodies in there it causes problems. It was a corner whipped in there and the goalkeeper has gone underneath it. Kev (Kevin Gray) got his head on it and from Kev’s reaction I thought we’d lost the chance but it then seemed to bounce backwards into the goal.

" I was delighted to see that go in because we then had something to really go for and something to give us all a lift and we moved on again after that.

" As for the penalty I thought the goalkeeper jumped out with both his feet at Karl (Hawley) and took him out. It’s that long since we’ve had a penalty though that I was absolutely gobsmacked to see him blow his whistle and point to the spot.

" I was pleased though because Lummy has practised and practised his penalties. I don’t like it when there is a lot of time between the ball going on the spot and then actually stepping up to take it but he kept his nerve and it was good to see that nestle in the back of the net. Hopefully that will be the first of a run of penalties for us. "



" Sometimes you have to make decisions to go and try and get yourselves back in the game. I felt that the way we were playing we needed a bit of aerial threat up there. We needed to be more positive for a start, I wanted to try and get three upfront and three lads in midfield. It worked today, it doesn’t always do but you enjoy it when it does come off.

" As far as I know there are no knocks, everybody is just so delighted to get the three points that they will go home and the adrenaline will stop it from hurting today and they will wake up tomorrow with their aches and pains.

" We’ll all be back in on Monday and we’ll see how everybody is then and decide which way to go for the Tranmere game. I already have it in my mind what I want to do but we’ll see what injuries we have and whether anybody has picked up any little niggles today.

" I’ve never said we are a promotion force, I’m want to leave that for everyone else to say and I’m going to be a bit of a misery and sit on the fence. I think we have got a strong squad here, I think after 22 games when you have shown that you can be joint second, you’ve accumulated the points that we’ve got, we’ve shown the character that we’ve shown in many games this season then I think we are good enough to stay up there.

" The test now is to see whether the players have got it in their minds that they can because they are the only ones that matter. It isn’t about me, it isn’t about systems, it’s about those players all believing in themselves and in each other that they can do it now for these next 24 games. "



" I really do hope they can because it would be a shame to throw it all away. All the hard work that has gone in, not just this season but in the second half of the year we went down and in the whole of last season. It doesn’t just happen overnight, these things take time to build up and we’ve got ourselves some momentum and we want to keep it going for as long as possible.

" I don’t even know how many points it will take to be safe from the drop. If we can get another 12 points over the next four games I’ll be even happier and maybe I might take myself off the fence that I’m sitting on at the moment.

" It was a great atmosphere and the atmosphere got better when we went a goal down. I think it’s always difficult when you get a big crowd because they come with an expectation because of what has gone before to swell that interest. They were nervy and we weren’t playing particularly well although we were battling and we had to go a goal down for them to really get on their feet and be screaming for us.

" That’s we want, now come Darlington on Boxing Day we want it from the start, we want the players to go out and give them something to shout about and them all to be backing us right through. If we all stick together, as I say all the time, then hopefully we’ll have something to smile about further down the line.

" We’re getting close to the Tranmere LDV game now. It’s a game that we will take seriously again and, as I say, I will put the strongest side out that is available to us on Tuesday night. They have taken a bit of a thumping today (Tranmere lost 4-1 at home to Brentford) so we will go there full of confidence and full of running to go and give them problems and hopefully get through to the semi-finals. "