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JP
What do you think of that one? You have come upstairs looking a little bit upset here at Brisbane Road.
GA
I am not a little bit upset, I am a lot upset.
JP
What is your thinking behind that? What has upset you then?
GA
Well the referee's performance to be fair. We have just dominated the game, absolutely battered Leyton Orient and we have got one point out of it, and we are probably fortunate to get the point out of it scoring a goal so late on in the game. Again, that is why I am unhappy.
JP
Why do you think it is the referee's fault then?
GA
I don't want to talk about the referee James, let's talk about the game, please.
JP
Well from the match then, on the balance of play you feel that you should have got the three points from the game.
GA
Well I think so yes, very much so, we are disappointed that all of our play and all the work we had and all the determination we had, certainly, especially first-half, until the referee invents a decision. We should be sitting here going back very, very happy with three points.
JP
You are clearly talking about the penalty, did you feel it wasn't high foot then from Peter Murphy?
GA
You have got to be allowed to defend your box haven't you and I think that he has tried to defend his box. It is not dangerous play, his foot is raised, but we are talking about something that is in the penalty box. Nobody on the pitch has appealed for a penalty and the referee decides to give one. That is the unfortunate thing, that their bench is staggered and offering apologies. I wouldn't offer an apology because you just take it don't you, that is part of the game, but we are on the receiving end.
Goals change games and we are so comfortable at half-time and we just think that we are going to go on and win the game two or three, but it wasn't to be was it. That is a big decision in a game we needed, well we didn't need to come and win, but we felt that we should be going home with three points and we have got one.
JP
After the first-half display, I mean I am sure that many of the fans who were over there watching, almost 500 of them from Cumbria, and also those listening, felt that you would have gone on and got it. As the game drew on though do you feel that you maybe settled for a point perhaps, and almost lost that.
GA
exhales Settled for a point? Settled for a point with Gary Madine in the last minute trying to head one in? No I don't think we did settle for a point. I think we have got a really positive group of players who came for three points and nothing else. That is why we are annoyed, if I am upset then I am upset and I am not too bothered to be honest. This is our living, this is our livelihood and we take criticism and all the stuff that goes with the game but today we feel that we should be going back with three points. To say we sat back and settled for a point, well I don't think we did.
JP
At 1-1 though, you have got a striker you have just paid a lot of money for, why did you not bring him on?
GA
Because Gary Madine scored in midweek and deserves an opportunity as well. We put Richie (Richard Offoing) on a couple of minutes later. Straight after that, when we were going to do the two at the same time but Joe (Anyinsah) was causing a lot of problems. So we have used four strikers today and I don't think we can be criticised for that.
The two (Scott Dobie and Anyinsah) ran their back four havoc in the first-half, Gary has come on and nearly scored with three chances, so I think we were right to do that as well. Richard has got to come in and prove his worth as well, yes he is a signing, yes he is going to play a big part, but yes I have got to be fair to the players that are already here. I think they have done terrifically well.
JP
And at 2-1, it took a great save from your goalkeeper to stop Leyton Orient actually winning the match, and a hat-trick for (Scott) McGleish who is a predator isn't he?
GA
Yes, but I think if you look at the other end, their keeper (Glenn Morris) has made five or six magnificent saves to keep them in the game. So let's not talk about the one save that Lenny (Pidgeley) has had to make in the game. Let's talk about the five or six that their keeper has had to make.
JP
I know coming away from home ahead of a game like this you would have been happy for the point. Can you be happy though after the game, forget about the referee's performance, with what you have taken back, forget about the game itself, can you be happy with a point?
GA
Well you are wrong there again that we are happy with a point because we never come for a point, we come for three points. We think we are a better side than Leyton Orient, we think we deserved to win the game and we are really, really disappointed.
JP
Let's talk about the goal that you scored in the first-half. Matty Robson, great break, and you have been working on that sort of thing, because it was a stunning break.
GA
It is just a good bit of play wasn't it. Matty has come in and he is doing terrifically well. We have gone at them with pace, we have got a lot of pace and energy through the team now, which is different to what we have had in the past. We break well, we can get the ball out wide as well, it is a fantastic run, it is a great ball, I think it was Tom Taiwo that ran alongside him, popped him in and it is a terrific finish right in the corner.
We want more of that from Matty, more of that from Tom, more of that, more of that from us as a team. We just needed to be clinical with the chances we had in the first-half, the amount of times we got the ball in the box and it wasn't to be.
JP
You clearly feel that the penalty was a turning point. Do you think you could have done more to stop the second goal though or do you think you were pushing up trying…..
GA
The second goal was a soft goal and we have only got ourselves to blame for that. We know the reasons why we have conceded that, you give the ball away cheaply square in any play then you are going to put yourselves under pressure. We know, we are accountable for that sort of thing, that is down to us, that is down to poor play. David (Raven) who I thought was magnificent in the game has made one mistake and we have got punished for it. But we accept that, we have got no problems with that.
JP
So poor play almost cost you the game but anything but poor play got you that point again, what a good goal.
GA
But a lot of good play nearly won us the game as well.
JP
Oh yeah, there was some very good play in there as well but let's talk about the goal from Paul Thirlwell, what a great way to do it and so late.
GAThat is how we played all game, we played with a positive manner. We have got the ball into great areas, we have had loads of work round their goal and to be fair to Thir he has come in and he has come up trumps and he has given us something to be a little bit happier about. But I am sitting here an unhappy manager, I am sorry.
JP
That is quite alright, Tom Taiwo when he came off, had he picked up a knock or did you just change that one tactically?
GA
No, he has got a sore achilles, Tom is doing terrifically well. He is becoming a big player, I thought he was very, very good again today. He has got a problem with his achilles and we don't want to do any damage to that so he has limped off and Kav (Graham Kavanagh) has gone in and took his place.
JP
You missed him a bit didn't you with his bite and tenacity after that.
GA
Well I am not sure that we did but if you say we did then that is up to you.
JP
What do you do then ahead of your game in the week? You have got a trip to Morecambe, do you try and give perhaps a few of the players who haven't had a chance so far a game?
GA
We are going to have a think about that. We will just have a think, at the minute I am busy digesting this. I will get on the bus, it is a three hour, four hour journey back to where I am getting picked up. I will have a good think about it tomorrow and we will make some decisions and we will be regrouped and we will go again on Tuesday night.
JP
I am sure the fans will be very happy to feel that you are so upset by this. How do you try and turn that around and use this as a positive now, you have picked up a point.
GA
There were only positives today.
JP
You don't feel there aren't…..
GA
There were only positives today. There were only positives out of the football match. We were terrific today, probably as good as we have played on our travels you know. They are the positives and we have had a terrific chat in the dressing-room where they know how upset I am. Purely down to the fact we are not going away with a victory.
JP
And you feel that you can take this on now, the performance here, the result of course on Wednesday, into the home match of course in a week's time.
GA
We are looking a good side at the minute, we are looking OK. We play like this over a regular basis we are going to be fine, absolutely fine. We just can't wait to get back on the grass, get playing again, pick up points, get through cup games and just continue our improvement on the pitch. We are looking like a cohesive side that has got a lot going for it.
JP
And Richard Offiong, can we expect to see a bit more of him perhaps against Morecambe, the fans who are going to make that trip?
GA
Yes, I mean Richard has come in, he has only trained with us two days. He is a little bit behind, he has missed a little bit of training. Richard is going to play a big part, he is a fresh transfer, he is a new one in. He has certainly put the other three back on their mark, they have been terrific since he has been around, so we have got four good strikers now and we can choose two from any of them.