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JP
How do you feel after that one tonight?
GA
Well, we needed it didn't we? We have been on a bit of a sticky spell in terms of our league form. We have got something nice to look forward to haven't we in the Johnstone's Paint, but we have stressed the importance of focus on the league performances and the attitude.
All that has won us the game tonight is our attitude and our application and our determination. This is one of the hardest-working teams in the league are Oldham, that is why they are where they are.
They beat people up in terms of energy and determination, but tonight we ran them, we smothered them, we chased every ball, we made every tackle. I think that is what the Carlisle fans want to see from our team.
You are never going to get quality football week in and week out, this is League One, but what you should be demanding is that type of effort and we gave it tonight. We had a rallying call before the game and the response was magnificent, I thought that the work ethic tonight has won us three points, which are vital for us.
JP
And vaguely reminiscent of that fine victory at Sheffield Wednesday, another of the then promotion chasers at that stage. Tonight though once again Craig Curran chipping in with the winning goal, you must be delighted for him in particular?
GA
Yeah, we have got 20 players and we are going to have to use a lot of them. He said to me yesterday when we went through the team-work that he was disappointed but if I needed him then he would be ready. To be fair, his 20-25 minutes or whatever it was, I thought he was fantastic when he came on tonight and he gives you problems.
If we can add goals to his work-ethic and his determination then Craig can go to a different level. But, he has got to get those goals and tonight he will be delighted with his intro and his goal and his performance, and fantastic for everybody.
JP
I am just trying to get a text up here, a bargain for £2 if we had gone, can we do something similar at Brunton Park please pre-Wembley? Can we have something like that? But, forget about that, what about the match itself and what that means for those fans who where here, 630 of them?
GA
Well, they have been fantastic haven't they, and I think they have seen more good than bad. That just stops a little bit of a rot, we have had a sticky spell in the league but we want to pick up our points and make sure our season has got something there for the league.
It is still a two or three game league, if we win three we are right up and back in amongst the chasing pack, and that is what we want to be. We don't want to just let the thing filter out, the good thing is that people are still playing for places because Wembley will make that happen.
I don't want to talk too much about that thing but it does make sure players play and show that determination and don't switch off, and everybody is fighting for the shirt.
But, tonight it was important, because if you lose tonight then you are looking right over your shoulder, now we can wake up in the morning and look a little bit more further forward. Hopefully if we can back this up with a result on Saturday, Exeter Tuesday, then you are back where you want to be again.
JP
And they are not perhaps one of the classic big sides in League One are they Oldham looking at some of the teams we have got in here, but they are up there battling and you have out-battled them on tonight. Just looking at my notes more Carlisle United chances?
GA
Yeah, I think we deserved the victory tonight, there is no question about that with our determination. In the first-half we probably thought we should have been 1-0 up at least, their keeper (Ben Amos) has been worked hard and he has made some fantastic saves to be fair.
We are talking about Ben Amos who has been brilliant for them tonight, and that has not been the case in recent games. To be honest we spent probably an hour and a half yesterday working on getting players forward and getting midfield players forward.
The system, we slightly changed the way we did the system tonight to make sure we got bodies into the box and make sure we got shots on target. Tonight we did, certainly in the first-half got plenty in there.
JP
In terms of the performance, no stand-out star performance from your team, it is almost that Carlisle United were a star as a team?
GA
I think tonight is a team performance, if you are going to pick one, for me maybe Liam Noble in midfield, I thought he covered every single blade of grass. But, I am being picky there, I thought to a man everybody has put in a unbelievable shift.
That is what has won us the game, not an individual performance, it has been a massive team effort. Long journey to Southampton, we have got back, we got stuck in an accident on the M3 and didn't get back until late, late on Saturday night/Sunday morning.
They have turned it round again, they have travelled on the day, they have come here, they have run their socks off and they want to play for the football club. They are honest and that is all you can ask from them, and the fans that we have had here have been delighted with them.
JP
And perhaps worthy of a mention again, I know you don't really like to individualise but Matty Robson coming in and filling in for you at left-back again put in a really good display tonight?
GA
Yeah, a terrific shift, it is an easy position, as long as you don't complicate the game full-back is not a tough position to play, and that is no disrespect to full-backs.
But, Matty did everything that was asked of him, he got it, he chipped it down the line, he defended well, he got close to his winger, he denied people space and he did what good full-backs do, go unnoticed for large amounts of the game if you know what I mean. That means a full-back has generally done their job properly.
JP
To get this victory in this manner here against such a good side, what could this mean ahead of the trip to Swindon in terms of confidence?
GA
Well, it is certainly going to put us in a better shape, Saturday's second-half gave us a lot of confidence the way that we stopped Southampton and denied them and kept ourselves in the game.
But, this gives us a lift, a big lift, and we needed it to be honest. We needed it and we go on Saturday in good spirits. We know it is going to be a hell of a tough time, Danny (Wilson) needs results badly and Swindon need results badly, but so do we.
JP
I am going to ask you about the fracas that happened in front of us, I know that you weren't down there so perhaps you got a good view of it, what on earth went on there?
GA
They happen in football but let's talk about our result rather than that, that will sort itself out.
JP
It will indeed, just finally, any injuries picked up out of the game as you know it?
GA
I am not sure yet, I have come straight up here, but I think they are alright, when you win they are generally alright, but they looked OK when they came off.