United assistant manager Graham Kavanagh (GK) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 3-2 League One victory at home to Yeovil, Kavanagh saying it was a great result after Monday's 4-0 defeat at Brentford :
JP
One of the most exciting commentaries I have ever worked on, I can't imagine it was too enjoyable for you guys as coaches on the sidelines for much of the match though, it must have been hard work?
GK
It was hard work, first and foremost it is a great result, it is a great three points considering what obviously happened and went on on Monday, and we obviously didn't do ourselves any justice, and we felt we certainly had to put that right. I thought we got a really good response from the lads, they worked extremely hard, as to be fair they always do. But, you look back on Monday's game and individual mistakes cost us and then that affects confidence. We were hoping today we would bounce back with a good performance but we didn't think it was going to be as exciting as it was, and fortunately for us it has turned out that we end up with the three points.
JP
I am sure you would have preferred a sort of much more straightfroward 3-0er against Yeovil to get yourselves back well and truly on track and up into the top six, but in terms of the drama of the game it was a fantastic spectacle for those who made it here?
GK
It was, it was, it was a game that was end to end, no little amount of quality, there were chances at both ends. I thought we played and moved the ball particularly well, we got the ball into Paddy (Madden) and into Lee Miller. Paddy has exceptional workrate which we have always known, and it was just nice to get that monkey off his back with the goal he got today, you could see the relief in his play. He is a joy to work with because of his honesty and because of his workrate.
That was what we said after Monday night's game, coming in on Wednesday was extremely important that we probably forgot about the side of the game when we had the ball, it was what we do when we haven't got possession of the ball, the energy, the tempo and the commitment, we have to go and seek and hunt in packs in threes or fours to try to win it back as early as we could. There was a great honesty by the boys today, and we have ended up getting our rewards.
JP
Obviously, with Paddy now, I know he has not always been in the team but his first goal in over a year now for Carlisle United, his first goal for the club, but what a composed finish it was and does that maybe show the sign of promise of more to come?
GK
Well, I think in fairness to Paddy he has come over and as much as he has played in the League of Ireland it is a totally different league over here. The professional side of it, he has adapted, he has had to improve certain parts of his game and to be fair to the kid, he has come and asked, he has come and asked for help, he has come and asked for extra sessions and we have done that with him and he is now bearing the fruits of that, and fair play to him.
But, it has taken him a little bit of time and he probably became a little bit impatient himself, which you understand, everybody wants to play. But, circumstances at times, whether it be results, whether it be performances or whether it be injuries, Paddy has now got his chance and to be fair to him he looks like he is going to stay in the team for a while. So, I hope that is the case, it will depend obviously on how we play over the forthcoming weeks and the games that we have got coming up.
But, if we can perform and create the chances like we did today, it is vital in the way we play that when the ball goes up to the two strikers that it sticks. It then enables the midfielders to get involved in the game and obviously the wide men, and while that is all happening it is important that we keep blasting on about it, the concentration levels at the back. We have conceded silly and sloppy goals at times, but there is a real honesty.
Adam obviously is at fault for the first goal today, but there is no problem with that because you are then looking for a reaction from him, and all credit to him, he has made three or four excellent saves. It shows the character of him as a man and also his professionalism, the lads rallied around him and the lads are delighted to see that at the end of it we have come away with the victory, and happy days.
JP
The second goal, was it just a good finish or was that one a bit sloppy as well for you?
GK
Well, from where we saw it, it looked like it obviosuly had got played into the box, and I think somebody had left a man, I think it was (Dominic) Blizzard who obviously hits the chance. We are so probably intent on actually defending the goal rather than actually going and blocking and defending the ball and actually wondering where our markers are.
It was probably a lapse in concentration, but it was a good strike, but in saying that we go straight up the other end and Francois (Zoko) has the chance to score, which he probably has no right to get in when he gets in, but he gets in with a great header, he flicks it over the keeper (Sam Walker), it hits the post and you are starting to wonder then if it will be a draw. But, then they go up the other end and hit the bar with a curling shot.
So, it is really, really pleasing, there is a real sense of relief and camaraderie now in the group, and you can see the confidence coming obviously straight back into the team, which is exactly what we need. Certainly the fans today were brilliant and got behind us, it is a bit annoying in a sense that there are only 4,250 or whatever it was and all credit to every single one of them who came because they were absolutely first class. They certainly give us a bit of stick behind the dugout and a bit of banter, which is great, we give it back and we have a bit of crack with them, but we would love more people to come, we certainly would.
JP
Of course you would, in terms of Paddy Madden, just going back to him, the one thing I have liked about him, against Tranmere could and perhaps should have scored, against Brentford could and perhaps should have scored, and then gets his goal today, but the thing that you can't coach yourselves has got to be an instinct thing, is being in those positions to get the goalscoring opportunities, and he is finding his way into those positions for you?
GK
Well, two really good things with Paddy, first of all he is relentless in his workrate, so therefore his energy and his ability to get those opportunities come quite often, because his workrate and his energy levels and his intensity of his workrate gets him into those positions where he is going to get chances, whether they be half-chances or chances you expect him to score.
But, probably the better side of that is that he doesn't really get affected by confidence, whether he misses a chance, whether he scores a chance you always know that he is going to put himself in that position to go again. It was a very, very composed finish today, it comes off the back of obviously working to close the ball down, he wins the interception off the defender (Bondz N'Gala), and once he is away you are hoping that for his sake he gets the goal because it is a bit of a monkey off his back, and he has got the broadest smile at the club this evening.
JP
What about Lee Miller? I mean we have talked in the build-up that his return was hyped up to be like the second coming, but he definitely had an effect didn't he on the whole team performance, looked more of a unit again from front to back?
GK
Yeah, I think Lee obviously gives us height and gives us composure upfront. But, what he does do really well is he obviously makes good balls into really good balls and not so good balls he competes really well against two centre-halves and occupies both of them, which gives the space then for Paddy to run down the channels or Francois or J-P (Jon-Paul McGovern) to roll off the line.
He is a key, key player for us, he is one that when he is in the team not only offensively but defensively because of his height and because of his ability to then go and attack the ball from set-pieces against. He gives us that extra aerial power and it is no surprise that he has come in today and played extremely well, I think him and Paddy, they live together, J-P, they just enjoy playing with each other, the same as when Rory (Loy) has been playing. So, that is a real key factor in the make-up of our team.
JP
In terms of a couple of players who weren't involved today, Andy Welsh wasn't there but seemed to be warming up with Stephen O'Halloran, has he got a knock?
GK
No, he was sick yesterday, I think he had the runs yesterday, he didn't come into training, the gaffer wanted him to stay away, obviously didn't want anybody to get it, his wife and child had the same. So, it is obviously some sort of bug that he had so it is just a precaution.
JP
What about Stephen O'Halloran? One or two fans saying what he has got to do to get a game, he seems to be fit enough but always warming up at the start of the match and then never being involved?
GK
Well, it is just one of them, it is the gaffer's choice. Stephen has to improve certain aspects of his game, become more consistent, and hopefully then at some stage for his sake that he gets an opportunity. But, at the moment he has been a squad player, he got a game away at Leyton Orient and did well and didn't then really cement his place after that, didn't stake his claim to be a number one defender. That is difficult, it is all well and good people saying give him a chance but you have got to train as well as you can with a consistency level that shows you are worthy of a place, and when you get that opportunity you have got to then take it.
That is what we say to all the players, Tom (Taiwo) has had a spell out of the team this season, Nobs (Liam Noble) has had a spell out of the team, Paddy has obviously had a spell, it is about reaction, it is about how you deal with it individually and collectively as a group. Do you show it to the group or do you actually get on, and to be fair Stephen has been first class, it is just as I say I think it has been one of those that the gaffer has decided not to play him.
JP
Still talking about that left side, I gather Matt Robson is maybe getting closer to the first team and might even be a chance for next weekend?
GK
Erm, we are not really sure on that one, Matty has had a difficult spell with a back spasm, I am not sure if it is a disc, they have had it scanned, they have seen it was a disc, they had seen the disc had settled down but his back continues to remain in spasm for some reason. Anyway, that settled down this week, he has pushed himself a little bit and he has managed to get himself back running again and then he has had a reaction again this morning.
So, we are sort of scratching our heads a little bit with that one and that is very frustrating, more so probably for the player. I think Matty has probably been one of our best performers over the whole season this season and to lose him has been a loss. He gives us a great deal of energy, very rarely gets done one v one, doesn't get done back-stick, and then when he does get into offensive opportunities he fronts up the full-back and obviously has that ability then to cross the ball.
So, it is difficult, it is one of those that we will have to just play it by ear, we will have to see how we go over the course of probably the next six or seven days, see what his recovery is like and hopefully once he gets over it he is free for the remainder of the season. But, we are not sure with the longevity of this one.
JP
I hope I am not betraying your confidence finally just by saying that when you came up you did ask if you had made it into the top six, because the fans are obviously tickled pink by that sort of thing, you are in there now, what does it feel like? I know that you want to say that it is each game at a time and all that, but it is great to see Carlisle up there?
GK
No, listen, first and foremost our start of every season is you are looking and thinking where are we with the squad, have we improved, are we better than we were last season, and we genuinely felt we were. We were saying that if we could get ourselves into the top half of the table come Christmas we have then got to reevaluate it and reassess it, and hopefully there is more money there to be able to then go and improve the squad.
Plainly and simply we haven't had probably the numbers through the gates to then go and be able to do that, but the one or two acquisitions we have had have made a difference and they have helped. We have now got players who can come off the bench, make a difference, which we probably didn't have over the last couple of years. Because, that is a big factor in the way we can play and we obviously have different styles we can play because of the personnel.
But, we are now in the top six and obviously that is where we want to remain for the remainder of the season. It would be an incredible achievement for a squad and the budget that we have, and that is certainly something that we want to go and do. We certainly want to kick on, and as I say, if we can cement that sixth place, once you are in there and you are looking at the end of May, you are thinking two games and you get to Wembley, and then there is an opportunity to get into the Championship.
So, credit to the lads after Monday's performance and Monday's result and the reaction from a lot of people, massive disappointment, we have had a great reaction today and that just shows you the desire the players have, and if we can continue that for the rest of the season it will be brilliant.