United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after Carlisle's 3-2 defeat away to MK Dons, Abbott saying that former Blues midfielder Adam Clayton's last-gasp winner is one of those things that happens in football :
JP
How on earth have you managed to lose that one there?
GA
It is one of those things that happens in football. We have won in this type of situation before and today we have lost in this type of situation. It is not easy and to be fair to the boys, the effort and the determination and the way they have competed after last week, when people probably ask you are you ready to see the season out or are you ready to kick on?
Well, ask MK Dons if we have just come here to lie down and let our season run out. They have had to go right to the wire, 93rd minute, to score a goal to win a game. But, our dressing room tells you how keen we are to see the season through and on that alone you have to be so proud of what we are all about and the type of players we have got in the dressing room.
JP
Fair to say that you were trying to win the game at the end rather than trying to close out the point?
GA
Yeah, we would have taken a point, we certainly would have taken one rather than none. But, we tried to make a change that would win us a game and if Paddy (Madden) had maybe been a little bit more gamefresh in terms of being on the pitch a bit longer he might have had one or two chances and put them away himself. But, we are trying to be positive all the time at the club and we have tried to win a game of football here and we have come very close to doing it, but we have actually lost it, which hurts.
JP
You can be positive about plenty of what happened out there but the way that the three goals were conceded all could have been avoided I am sure you will feel?
GA
Every goal could be avoided, I have to say, every single goal conceded can be avoided.
JP
But, three today in particular maybe should have been avoided?
GA
No, like I say, every single goal conceded in any game in 92 league clubs can be avoided, it is as simple as that. There is always a mistake somewhere, so our two goals could have been avoided, that is football, there is a mistake somewhere.
JP
Alright, you are making me work for this, do you think that you should have defended better with the three goals?
GA
You are never pleased to concede three goals but I am not really going to dwell on a negative on a day where we have answered a lot of questions about the type of players we have got, and the type of spirit there is in the club. You ask MK Dons if they find those goals easy to come by today and I think they will tell you, like I am trying to tell you, that they have had to work their socks off right to the wire to score a goal against us today.
JP
A sickener as well, a former player I am sure you would have still liked to have had with the club (Adam Clayton) getting the late winner for them?
GA
That is your story, I couldn't give a.......... I am just disappointed it is a third goal, that is your story for you to talk about.
JP
A lot of fans will have questioned whether this would have been a sort of after the Lord Mayor's Show performance from Carlisle, and they will see a defeat and some might think that. But, it wasn't that sort of game was it?
GA
No, that is why we are so pleased with the group we have got, the group are terrific. We don't want to lie down, the fans we have brought today deserved a performance, got a performance and if we took one fan to Leyton Orient he would deserve a performance. That is what we have done and nobody can say.... I am not over-riding the fact that we have conceded three goals, what I am saying is that the way that MK Dons have had to work for everything in this game speaks volumes about the type of players we have got and what we are trying to do at the club.
JP
With that injury to Ben Marshall, a big opportunity for Liam Noble to earn his place back in the team? How did you rate his display today?
GA
I thought the midfield worked their socks off, passed the ball, I think the game was nice on the eye, had goals as well. But, I think it was a really decent passing game, both sides trying to play the game, if there is any right way, the right way, and Liam played his part in that.
JP
I know this isn't a stat you will like, but I have to ask it as a journalist, seven games since a striker scored for you. Is that a concern?
GA
No, if we keep scoring two goals every game then we will win games. I am not really bothered who scores, it is nice for your top two to score but if they don't as long as the goals are going in somewhere else then it is not really a major problem. It is a major problem if you are not scoring goals at all but we are finding the net, but I do want goals from Francois (Zoko) and Craig (Curran), their performances today and the work that they put into the game has been sensational.
JP
Yeah, super games for both actually, and Francois Zoko coming through the whole game after his injury looks like he is taking that in his stride?
GA
Yeah, big plus as well because he has got us the penalty which should have maybe seen us get something out of the game. But, we thought we were losing him Monday and Tuesday but he has trained, put a great shift in for us and shows what a type of person he is, which is fantastic for us.
JP
There seemed to be a bit of a fracas just at the end just with yourself and a few security guards at the end there?
GA
It was nothing to do with me, it was Liam Noble is trying to shake hands with two supporters that have come all the way down from Carlisle. One with a boy who is about eleven years old and he is pushed off the track onto the pitch by a steward, which I think is ridiculous.
JP
So, it was something with the stewards trying to stop him from shaking hands with one of your players?
GA
Yeah, trying to just stop him shaking hands, Liam Noble, I think we have got a responsibliity in this game. Those people spend a hell of a lot of money, and all Liam has done, with nobody around him, no MK Dons players or even our own players around him at all, trying to shake hands with a father and his son who was about eleven years old. I find him getting pushed away quite aggressively by a steward, that is absolutely way over the top, where are we going with all this? Liam is upset and I suppose the parent and the young boy are upset as well, and that is when I got involved to say to him: 'hang on a minute, what is going on there?'
JP
Yeah, sad, very sad to hear abour that, you didn't look too happy and quite rightly so by the sounds of it. Just finally, you have got a game straight away, a quick turn around for Tuesday (at Leyton Orient), how is the squad shaping up?
GA
You have just seen them, they are on their knees at the minute but they will be alright. Listen, we will dust ourselves down and we will try to go again and try to get another win on Tuesday. But, at the minute they are really disappointed, it is really quiet is the dressing room, amazing, they are really, really hurt by that today, which is a good sign and it shows that we have got the right types.