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JP
How much have you enjoyed that tonight?
GA
Well, I thought the performance was absolutely terrific, I have been trying to tell people not to get too carried away with defeats and not to get too carried away with wins we get and keep everything balanced, so I have got to do the same. But, the players deserve a lot of credit tonight for the response from Torquay, I know there were a few grumbles, a lot of grumbles, a lot of criticisms, none more though than from myself.
I have to make sure the players know what we expect and the standards I think that they have set themselves and the standards I think that we need to get to. Today probably three or four players had their best games of the season, an overall team performance probably close to being the best performance of the season against a very, very strong powerful side with stars in terms of our level all over it.
But, we were first to everything tonight and I thought we deservedly won the game 4-0 and on another day we might have actually finished the game and the tie completely off because we might have had one or two more. But, listen, if you had said to me this afternoon we are going to take 4-0 against Huddersfield at home, and give us an opportunity to get to Wembley again then I think we would have just about took that one wouldn't we?
JP
I did a very small straw poll of fans outside just asking what they would take going into the second leg and most of them seemed to think that if Carlisle weren't behind and that you could get a draw here, that that would be not a bad result to take to the Galpharm. Did you imagine this in your wildest dreams?
GA
Listen, they are a powerful side are Huddersfield, I think we have done everything right tonight. We have got the bits and pieces along the way, they could have nicked a goal, a consolation goal, which would have been 4-1. If there is one side that is capable of turning it round in the division it will be Huddersfield, they keep scoring goals, so the tie is not dead, but we have kept a clean sheet and we have got a four goal start.
So, we are obviously in the box seat but there is a massive task to do at Huddersfield and I think if we can go there and perform anywhere near like we have done tonight then we have got a great chance. But, I thought the boys were tremendous.
JP
You yourself mentioned for the first time this season after Torquay that confidence was maybe just a touch low, at what point did you sense it returning for your side? Not, necessarily tonight of course but also at the weekend.
GA
We just said that it is not confidence, it is hard work, I thought we didn't work as hard as teams like Dagenham and Tamworth and Torquay, we didn't work as hard. People can call it what they want but if you don't work as hard as the opposition then you are going to get beat, or you are going to have a great chance of getting beat.
Then that affects everybody and all the grumbles come in, the confidence starts waning, criticisms start getting bigger and they affect you even more. What we had to do is we had to get a real quick reaction to Torquay, what we said was that the next win will be difficult, the sooner you get it, the easier the wins will come off the back of that.
We got it straight away at Bristol Rovers, terrific performance, this was even better tonight in terms of a performance. Now they must be full of confidence, now they know what they can do, I thought the work-rate tonight was unbelievable, I thought our midfield players were absolutely outstanding. That was Tom Taiwo's best game of the season by a mile, I thought he was outstanding.
JP
Chris (Lumsdon) gave him man-of-the-match.
GA
And deservedly so, and Chris knows a midfield player when he sees one, and even Tom passed it better than Lummy did today, so, fair play to him. But, Lummy is not far off, he is a good lad and he knows what he is doing. I just thought that in that area they were onto everything, they stopped and they smothered Huddersfield and then they gave the platform for the front three who were too much for Huddersfield to handle tonight.
JP
You have brought us onto the man in there, Tom Taiwo, did you know that he could score goals like that? The second goal of the game tonight.
GA
Well, we have been putting a bit of responsibility on Tom, especially the shape that we play, him and (James) Berrett, not so much Berrett tonight because he played in the anchor role that Thir (Paul Thirlwell) usually does.
But, the two midfield players have got to get into scoring positions and tonight he did and he finished it with great style. You know what little tiddleface is like, they go all over the place, but tonight for him it summed up his night. A fantastic goal and a fantastic all-round performance, back to his brilliant best.
JP
James Berrett as well chipping in with two assists, likewise Francois Zoko laid on the opening two goals for you, there are a lot of key players all over the park for you at the moment?
GA
I just think we had a lot of players who really, really performed at their best, and that gives you a great chance of winning games and competing in games. Tonight they competed, the quality was good, I thought the back four was terrific, solid, Liam Cooper set his stall out, in the first 25 minutes to half an hour he was absolutely outstanding.
JP
Not to be doing your job for your or anything but pulling somebody like him out of the blue in Liam Cooper must show Carlisle fans that under pressure you can find a player?
GA
Well, I think we do it on a regular basis and we have to look in areas where obviously sometimes they are hidden because they are not easy to find if you like. We haven't got boat-loads to go out and find the finished article, it was easy I think for Huddersfield to go and find Kilbane, everybody knows about Kevin Kilbane.
We enquired about him and when they told us how much money he was on, and he was on about as much as the whole of our team put together. So, it was a non-starter and we had to go and find somebody that we can bring in to the club at the right price. We have found Liam, we know about him, we like him, and he will get better with the games he gets for us.
JP
Yeah, which Liam was that by the way? Because, the other one in there, in his second game of professional football was splendid as well tonight, Liam Noble.
GA
Yeah, I thought he was terrific, he is from Lummy's neck of the woods and he is made of the same stuff. His determination was there for all to see, his enthusiasm was there for all to see and there was a fair bit of quality from him as well. So, that is his first game and he has come to have a run at proper football as we call it. He will be pleased with himself tonight and he can enjoy himself half a lager shandy.
JP
I bet everyone will be a bit excited about the trip to Meadow Lane at the weekend?
GA
I don't think they are thinking too much about Meadow Lane at the minute, but tomorrow when we get in training we will remind them that we have to got to go there again and produce, and produce in the next league game and then the next one.
Then take Huddersfield Town on and the season is alive and kicking again, so that is the key, we wanted to take this season as far as we could with the interest and excitement. Bar the few blips along the way I am relatively satisfied with the way the team are performing.
JP
Just quickly before I let you go, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson has now left the club for pastures new, what are your views on his overall situation then?
GA
Could he get in that team tonight?
JP
Oh, no, no, no, I was just saying do you wish him well for the future?
GA
Of course, absolutely, listen, we have encouraged Bridgey to do it because we want him to play football, we want him to play first-team football, his frustration was there for all to see. But, the energy and the pace and the quality that we have got in there at the minute would have made things difficult for Bridgey.
No, I think he is a fantastic kid, he has been brilliant for this club, especially in his first early period. He needs to play football at his age and that is what we talked about and he has gone to Darlington. But, no, we wish him absolutely all the best without a shadow of a doubt.