United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-0 FA Cup second round defeat away to Charlton, Abbott saying that he is really upset with the result :
JP
What is your overall feeling after that one tonight?
GA
Erm, really disappointed to be honest, really upset with the result. It was always going to be a big ask the run that Charlton are on and probably the worst draw of the lot was Charlton, and then being Charlton away it was never going to be easy. But, it is important to us the competition for, not just football reasons but for other reasons if we want to drive the club forward and catch the likes of Charlton up, we needed a run for the other side of it, the financial side of it as well as that.
So, it is a double header disappointment really but I can't fault any of the players, I thought that they put in a great shift on a club that is going great guns at the moment. But, certainly we thought after the way we handled the first-half that we could go on and maybe find the first goal, and I thought what was going to be the first goal was going to win the game, it was that type.
But, they got it and in the end we threw men forward and took the centre-half (Lubomir Michalik) off and ended up losing two, but I am not too bothered about the second, we are trying to chase the game and get the equaliser and try to put Chatlton out and make them travel all the way up to our place.
JP
Why do you think it was that the goal didn't come? A lot of the play was good, really positive, you just couldn't seem to carve out those chances really other than one or two?
GA
Yeah, I mean I think that is it, 80 or 90% of our play was decent, we just couldn't find that killer pass and that bit of quality, that bit of luck around the Charlton goal and that is what has held us back today. One of those things, it is not as easy getting goals against Charlton as it is against Alfreton, so fair play to them, they have defended their goal well and a bit of credit there.
JP
Given the players that they left out does it have that sort of doubt in you that it was a missed opportunity? A real opportunity to maybe get past one of these big clubs in the cup? Cause a bit of an upset?
GA
Did you not think that the players they played were good players then? I still think that if you ask the Charlton people here that are here, I don't think anybody would say that Scott Wagstaff wouldn't get in most peoples' teams and Leon Cort has played in the Premiership and stuff like that. So, if you are swapping players for those types of players then it doesn't really weaken, so it just shows you that they have got a squad capable of going on and completing the job that they have nearly got halfway through.
So, we thought without (Bradley) Wright-Phillips and (Yann) Kermorgant then that was a bonus, but Paul Hayes has played at a great level as well, and was lively all day, as was Wagstaff. So, they don't disrupt too much, they are fortunate to have a really big squad and they have used it well today.
JP
Do you think you could have done more to try to force the issue a little bit with them? Do you think you could have been cleverer in certain areas today?
GA
I think we gave everything we had and in the end the first goal was the killer blow, I don't think that there can be too many complaints. It is not easy against really good players, they have got some real quality and we found life tough today. We kept going and tried to find a way to score, but like I said, credit to Charlton, they have kept a clean sheet.
JP
With that goal, the goal that I guess was almost the clincher, the opener, Leon Cort won absolutely everything at both ends today didn't he, he was incredible in the air but should there have been more people getting to the second ball when it broke?
GA
Possibly, we didn't think that they.............. We thought at half-time that their first goal possibly would be a set-piece because they were dangerous, dangerous all afternoon but they have got some big guys there. We defended them alright for the goal, it has dropped lucky for him (Michael Morrison), that happens in the box, Lubo had one at the other end when Murph (Peter Murphy) heads it back, he miscontrols it, if he controls that and scores then it is a different story. But, that is the fine line between winning and losing, and they had that today and we didn't.
JP
How do you lift yourself up now ready for the next game?
GA
Well I want them to lift me up today, this is as probably as disappointed as I have been all season because of the result. But, certainly not a criticism of my players, and we have just said how well we think they are doing and they are giving everything they have got. They have come to a place like this and they haven't rolled over, that was a tough game for Charlton I would think and we want to go onwards and upwards. But, we know how important it was to get the result and be in the hat for tomorrow, but I am just probably feeling a bit sorry for myself today, but I am entitled to be like that.
JP
And in terms of positives from the game, a bit of action for Paddy Madden and the first chance for some of the Carlisle fans, and certainly you, to see Chris Chantler in real action, what did you make of those two?
GA
Yeah, I mean Paddy has had a tough time with his injuries hasn't he, so it was the time to throw him up alongside of Lee (Miller) to see if we could get the goal there, went with three at the back. Chris is a passer, he might have found a pass to open up and we needed that, just a little role behind the front four. It left us a bit bare at the back but that is football, it is a cup tie so it didn't really matter whether it is three, four or five, we had to try to get the one to equalise. But, we couldn't find it today and we conceded at the other end, but yeah, that is nice for them but not too much to dwell on about that right now.