United boss Greg Abbott (GA) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 2-1 League One win away to Walsall, Abbott first talking about Paddy Madden scoring a brace of goals on his loan debut for Yeovil Town:
JP
Only just learning there that your young loanee Paddy Madden has got two goals on his debut for Yeovil?
GA
Well, that is what he has gone for, he has gone to get some games. He has been chomping at the bit here, he has gone out there for a month and it is only a month, we will address that at the end of it. But, a magnificent start for him, dead pleased for him and pleased for obviously the boys here who have worked really hard for the result this afternoon.
JP
If he did bang them in in that month at Yeovil would he have that chance to come back here or would you maybe see about seeing whether he could do it over a few months?
GA
No, we gave got to see what he can do, he has had bits and pieces of games here and things haven't always gone his way. He got injured at the wrong time this season and last season, so let's have a look at how he does in the month and then we can visit that one and see where it is. But, it is only a bonus to us that he has got off to a good start.
JP
Speaking of good starts, the way it went with the goal that Walsall got today, you maybe perhaps didn't think that you would be sitting here on top of three points today?
GA
Well, all we have talked about all week is winning the game, all we have talked about is overpowering Walsall with our strength and our fitness levels. I thought we were really, really decent today, we conceded again, our achilles heel, a really poor goal, Chris (Chantler) has got done on the left and they have hit us on the counter, which they did for large parts of the afternoon, they looked dangerous on that with the pace they have got through the team.
But, we coped with that, we came back from it, probably had four or five fantastic chances first-half to be going in the break up, but all we talked about at half-time was winning the game. It has taken us until the 93rd minute but we have got it and I thought we thoroughly deserved it.
JP
Can you tell what happened with the winning goal because as soon as it was played to (Liam) Noble we just assumed that he was offside, but the flag stayed down?
GA
Well, he must have been onside because he looked extremely obviously offside, I think there was a player in back play that was down for Walsall in their right-back position. But, I think over the piece we have battled and scrapped away today and played some smashing football. I thought it was a great game to watch and it was so open, they are trying to win the game, we are trying to win the game, nobody was wanting to concede but both teams going gung-ho and hell for leather to get three points, and on the day we have won the spin of the coin and it has dropped for us and we go away happy.
JP
How important could that first goal be for Joe Garner?
GA
I thought Joe could have had a hat-trick again first-half, and it is a testament to the wide play of Kallum (Higginbotham) and the wide play of Matty Robson, they are putting fantastic balls into the box and listen, Joe's goals will come. He has been out of football really for 18 months, not played enough games and as with Paddy they need the games, and he has come here to get his career back on track and score goals. The more he plays, the more he will score, you don't become bad players, and he is at a place where he is well liked and he really likes us. So, let's hope for more of that from Joe.
JP
What did you make of Higginbotham more broadly, because he tired clearly towards the end but he was in the running for man of the match wasn't he?
GA
Yeah, I mean he was out on feet at the end, but he is another one, he just wants football and he told his manager at his other club (Simon Grayson at Huddersfield) that he just needs to get some pitch-time. So, reluctantly they have let him go, we have had him and again the more games he gets the better he will be and he will get to the end of the game. But, a terrific contribution for the first 80-odd minutes from him.
JP
All sorts of emotion in Liam Noble's celebration wasn't there after getting that goal back for you, not only the fact that you have got the late winner but just him getting out there and managing to get it done?
GA
Yeah, well Nobs is a top, top lad, we love him to bits. He has obviously had his sending-off and he has not been able to get his place back in the team, we have gone with two in there rather than three. But, he is a good player, he is a really good footballer and you miss his tenacity at times, you miss his passing.
But, I thought our two midfield players, I have to say that Paul Thirlwell was tremendous in the game today and Bez (James Berrett) was back to something like his best. When you are playing that type of system you need two players there that are reliable, never leave their area, always available to make tackles and break play up, but also to keep prompting, supplying and supporting the forward play. I thought they did a tremendous job today.
JP
In giving Paul Thirlwell man of the match Chris Lumsdon said that when he was on his booking he put in two thunderous tackles on the edge of your area when Walsall were looking to win the game, and that is why for Chris he took it?
GA
Well, we have talked about tackling, the goal we gave away against Crawley, the first one, we really, really were disappointed. I think it has got to be over dead bodies, and the first goal was a breakaway, it happens, we never recovered our shape from Chants slipping. But, the rest of it some great blocks, some great tackles, we guarded our goal really well, and I thought it was their goal that was getting threatened a lot more often than ours was.
JP
MIke Edwards back in today for Peter Murphy, what was the thinking there?
GA
Just we need to be brutally solid at the back, we felt that we were a little bit weak last week and Mike has again been chomping at the bit. He has come in, he has defended stoutly, he has looked solid, obviously Pete has got a really busy time as well at the minute with organising things for tomorrow. I think it has taken its toll on him a little bit, again two from three, I think the world of all three of them. It is just one of those things, we decided to go with Mike today and I thought they (Edwards and Danny Livesey) did really, really well together.
JP
Similar story with Brad Potts then?
GA
Yeah, same with Brad, we have to make changes when we see that some things aren't working and we need to be as solid as we can at the back. I thought Brad has come in and done alright again, he is still a little bit tentative. Brad is a better player than he is showing at the minute and the more games he gets the more confidence he gets and the more he will go and express himself. But, he is not going to learn that by sitting with me, and we have to look to the future as well as making sure the development of the players is right at the right time.
JP
What did it feel like to get that late winner? It is now three wins on the trot away and three 2-1 wins as Jon Colman has quite rightly just pointed out?
GA
I am absolutely ecstatic for everybody, because it is a tough, tough game. League One is a really tough league and we want to be up at the right end of it. If we could have nicked that game on Tuesday and played it and got a result there we would be sitting there in the top seven or eight which is fantastic value for us at the minute. We are going to get it I think a week on Tuesday, so we will get that game back, we have got a really big game against Notts County on Saturday but we can work hard now on what we are going to do and then hopefully cause them problems, and get a little bit of a run. I think it is only one defeat in six or seven or something like that isn't it?
JP
Yeah, the way stats mount up you know they can go either way can't they, but with one win under your belt and they go back in your favour, and if you can follow that up against Notts County all of a sudden............
GA
Yeah, that is it, you get the benefits of it with the next result. But, today it is another three points and at the end of the day we need to get to about 73 or 74 if possible, and we are on 15 so we are a little bit on our way.
JP
Back into the top half of the table though, that is always nice isn't it to be looking down at the teams under you rather than up?
GA
Yeah, well I mean I think we are a comfortable 12th aren't we, we are a good 12th because we have got the game in hand, and three points at this stage takes you up four and five places at a time. So, I think we are a comfortable mid-table, the game in hand, hopefully if we can win that then we are in a really nice position, and then pick up something next week against Notts County, things all of a sudden look really rosy.
JP
We had the pleasure of a returning favourite Karl Hawley in commentary with us today, it will be another returning favourite probably to Brunton Park of course next weekend with Francois (Zoko)?
GA
Yeah, I mean hopefully he is a returning favourite who goes away with his tail between his legs because he is nursing a defeat. There will be no favours given on the pitch, but it will be great to see him, we liked him, he liked us and I think we did really well for him and he did well for us. We will see him next week but hopefully on our terms and the result has gone our way.
JP
Inspite of that game being called off at the last minute with Bury has the whole week off helped you and do you think it will again next week with a full week?
GA
Probably, probably, because we have had a real glut of games, basically the same players playing and I thought we looked a bit leggy in training on Monday. We had a real, real ding-dong of a meeting on Monday after training because I wasn't happy. We got that out of the way, we managed to sort the week out better, you have seen a lot of freshness, a lot more freshness, the only ones that were tired were the ones that haven't been playing, Kallum and Mike, they were the ones that really suffered but the game will have done them the world of good too.
JP
I know you are planning to extend Joe Garner's loan, with that month moving on already are plans afoot to make that happen?
GA
We haven't done it at the minute but I think it is a common sense one, all three parties I would think, Joe, Carlisle and Watford would be reasonably happy with the situation at the minute, so I don't see any reason why we can't do that.
JP
And just finally, I know that you are involved on the pitch and a bit with us in commentary tomorrow at Peter Murphy's testimonial, nice to have got this result out of the way to be able to think about that?
GA
We have just talked about that, now we can concentrate on the club, showing the massive amount of respect to Peter. I have just said that in the dressing room, we can enjoy it tomorrow and now we all rally round Pete and hope he has a fantastic day and everybody turns up to support him. It should be a much better feeling to the place winning rather than losing, so that is great news for Murph.
JP
And you can also show some of those fans what a good player you are as well?
GA
Were.
JP
Well, it will be great to have you with us in commentary as well.
GA
Yeah, brilliant, I am looking forward to the day and we owe him, and he is now pleased that he can concentrate on that. He has had a tough time organising everything and getting everything together, there is a massive amount of work, so let's hope we all rally round for him tomorrow and he can really enjoy himself.