United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 1-1 League One draw at home to Walsall, Abbott saying that the 82nd minute penalty equaliser for the Saddlers shouldn't have been given :
JP
A tale of two penalties, one that wasn't given to Carlisle United that might have been a soft one and a soft one that certainly was given to Walsall today, what do you feel?
GA
You are right, the decision is not a great decision, it doesn't look like a penalty from where anybody is in the ground, but that's referees, they see it and they give it. He (Craig Pawson) made an honest decision, I have just asked him, and that's that, so it is no good really feeling too sorry about yourself. We probably didn't play well enough to win a game, certainly weren't as good as we have been and we have to grind out a 1-0 win, which a lot of teams do when they are at the top end of the table, but that decision has stopped us doing that.
JP
Plenty of possession and plenty of possession in key areas in that final third against Walsall, it just seemed that the ball just wouldn't quite fall for that gilt-edge chance for you to extend your lead?
GA
It is probably a day where we needed to get the second goal wasn't it to win the game, we had enough play as you say and we had enough chances really. A couple of times we hit the crossbar and a couple of times we have had the ball popping around the area and we couldn't get the final thing on it. It just didn't really happen for us today and we probably look at the week and we have not been able to train properly because the grass has been unbeliveably wet, frozen at the start of the week and sodden the rest of the week and we missed the game last week. So, we have not done as much work as we would like and that is something I might have to address with John (Nixon) in terms of using the pitch in future because we need to train and train hard and train properly to keep our levels up, especially after missing last Saturday's game.
JP
In terms of going into the match, a real problem for you with two (Peter Murphy and Matt Robson) of what has been a strong back line out?
GA
Yeah, I mean you look at what we have achieved and what we have done again and we have nearly won a game without half your back four who have been with us all season. To be fair the two lads (Chris Chantler and Danny Livesey) have come in and I think they have coped admirably and done us a smashing job, but it does rock you a little bit when you don't find that out until Thursday, and not even find out the full impact of what was happening. Because, we left it until even this morning with Murph and yesterday I found out about Matty that he is not going to be right, so that gives you a real headache. But, to be fair the two lads have come in and have done very well, and I don't want to use that one as an excuse.
JP
Can you tell us what the situation is with the two lads who are out, how long you might expect to miss them now?
GA
No, I can't tell you that to be honest, I don't know is the answer and I am just keeping my fingers crossed that we thought we had made it last week, everybody was fit for MK Dons, everybody fit, except for the groundsman choosing not to cover half the pitch, probably more upset with him now than I was last week. Because, we probably needed that game regardless of the result, we needed the game because we were the only one in the country off and it stops your preparations and the full weekend was wasted.
JP
Certainly a first start for you, but is that Chris Chantler's first professional start as well?
GA
Yeah, I think it is, I think he has done ever so well to be honest, he looked comfortable on the ball, he has coped well with his job defensively and we know he is a tidy little player and he is one that will progress and help and get better and today he has probably shown the fans that he is well worth being at this football club, got us out of a bit of a hole today.
JP
And Danny Livesey as well, you might not have known that he had been out for a while the way he played?
GA
Danny is Danny, to be fair Danny is a great kid, we have had him here a while, I have known him the five years I have been here and he is never any different, what you see with Danny is what you get. But, you will get an honesty and a determination about his play and he will give you everything he has got, and today he has done that for us and not let us down at all.
JP
Tom Taiwo seemed a little disappointed to be coming off, but I am sure every player should look disappointed coming off, but was that you trying to get a midfielder off for a striker and try to get that game............
GA
A bit of that, Tom has missed training and he has probably missed a night's sleep last night, his girlfriend gave birth to a little baby yesterday and he has missed training and she gave birth at 5.15am so he missed a night's sleep Friday night. So, they are reasons why you do it and Tom knows that, I didn't think he was disappointed, he should be disappointed to be honest but he will understand why we have done it because he has had a tough couple of days. So, congratulations on him for his baby and he is absolutely no problem in terms of the substitution.
JP
Oh yeah, I wasn't questioning him, and he had a great game as well didn't he, he got stuck in?
GA
That is little Tommy, again sometimes players go on the pitch and you don't know what to expect, Francois Zoko is the perfect example of that, with Tommy and Danny Livesey you know what you are going to get.
JP
In terms of your new man as well, Jordan Cook got in there and forced a great save from Jimmy Walker towards the end, could have had that game won for you as well?
GA
Yeah, I mean he has looked really lively in training to be honest, and because of the run we are on obviously there was no real reason for him to start because of the way we have been going. I thought he has put a great shift in today when he has come on and nearly found us that goal with a really good piece of play. But, he has looked good and hopefully he will give us that impact along with Paddy (Madden) and Craig (Curran) and all the rest of them that can come off the bench, and try to find us a goal when the chips aren't going for us, it didn't happen today but very close.
JP
I feel almost churlish mentioning it but were you a little bit frustrated with the fact that some of the lay-offs in just that final third when you looked close to getting that goal were just going a touch astray today?
GA
Of course you are as a manager, you want one of them just to fall nicely, I think if we score two we probably win the game comfortably 2-0 without too many problems. While it is only one they have always got that opportunity to get back into the game, and for whatever reason, whether it was a penalty or not a penalty, but they have done and we are probably ruing the fact we have drawn a game we are thinking about winning.
JP
A tenth booking of the season for James Berrett which looked soft as well, speaking of soft things, rules him out for a couple of games now, how significant a blow is that?
GA
Well, that is the reason that the people like Nobs (Liam Noble) is here, so Nobs will possibly come in or we will have a look at the formation and things like that. But, we have got four for three in there, four quality midfield players, so it is an area where we are reasonably well blessed. So, we will miss him because he has been very, very good and his set-pieces and his running with the ball and he is getting his goals, he is a good player so we will miss him.
JP
Was Stephen O'Halloran just not quite up to speed yet? Because, you surprised us all by going with Chantler obviously instead of him perhaps at the back?
GA
He has not really done a great deal has Stephen, he has only just really got back into full training, he has not even had a game, a practice game or anything like that. Chris is match-fit, he has been playing all the games in all the friendlies and has been doing all the work and has not missed a day of training, and the fact that we thought Walsall might just sit back and he is good on the ball is Chris and he is clever with his distribution, so that was the reason we plumped for him.
JP
You said that you were going to have to move quickly if you wanted Oli Johnson, who had been released by Norwich and was with you he said, he has gone to Oxford, what happened there then?
GA
Erm, I let him go to Oxford because I am happy with what I have got, he has been guaranteed games there, at this point of his career he needs games and I couldn't guarantee him games with the way we have been playing, over the next few weeks. So, that is the reason he has plumped for first team football, and you can't blame him for that.
JP
It would have been a bonus had he come in, he wasn't necessarily perhaps one that you were definitely looking at for an area having got Cook, is there anywhere else you still do want to try to strengthen before the end of the window?
GA
Erm, we are alright at the minute, looking at today you would think maybe one or two areas where we might need to do something, but we have got good numbers and good depth to the squad. But, we are OK, the real need would be if anything happened to any of ours, and I think at the moment I am happy with the squad, the players, everybody, the crowd is all happy with everybody, disappointed I think and frustrated with the result today like we all are, but the squad I think is in good shape.