United midfielder James Berrett (JB) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) following Carlisle's 1-0 League One win at home to Colchester, Berrett saying that the players knew it wasn't going to be a day for playing good football :
JP
One thing that we noticed throughout the game and leading up to it was absolutely foul and wretched weather, what on earth was that like to play in out there?
JB
It is not the best, when we came in the changing room this afternoon we all knew it was not going to be a day for good football. We all knew that it was going to be in the air a lot, well it is going to be blowing everywhere and you have just got to cope with it, and I think we have coped quite well today.
JP
You are central to United's well established now reputation for playing good football, but does that all just go out of the window on a day like this?
JB
You try not to but as you have seen today the weather was that bad it was difficult to try to pass it because even on the floor it is still being affected. But, I think we have dealt with it well, and the goal, that has come from our best bit of play on the day and Thirs (Paul Thirlwell) has finished it off well.
JP
Not only the goal as well, the chance that (Rory) Loy put on goal just after that one, it was just touched over the bar by Ben Williams, the two real standout moments of football almost resulted in goals. So, does that show that you can play football even in these wretched days?
JB
You can yeah, it is just very difficult you know, you are not going to get 90 minutes of good football, you are going to get little spells like a couple of minutes then it is going to be a battle for the rest of it. But, we have had some good chances and we were unlucky not to win by more than 1-0.
JP
The stats going into the game had remained good despite the defeat against Sheffield United, just one defeat in five, two in the last ten and only two points off the play-offs but did you feel that you needed to grind out a win today against Colchester?
JB
Yeah, I think these are the games where we need to get three points if we want to really go for the play-offs, so it was important and I am just glad we have done it.
JP
In terms of the goal itself, the veteran Paul Thirlwell coming through like, well we all said in commentary, like a full on box-to-box midfielder, what did you make of his goal?
JB
It was a very good goal, he doesn't get many in training, and I have just seen him running forward and I have thought 'what he is doing up there, there is no chance something is going to happen here'. But, all credit to him, he has got in there, a good touch and then he has just slid and it has gone in, a good goal for him.
JP
Chris Lumsdon in commentary with us, he is one of his good mates is Paul, and he was as surprised as anyone to see that, he is known for scoring important goals from about 30 yards, but he was what, around or about the penalty spot? A proper striker's finish?
JB
Yeah, he is running onto it, took a good touch and then just slotted it in well, and then he has just slid on his knees for a celebration, so I will have a word with him about that one later.
JP
More work than ever for you actually today from the dead balls because there were that many corners, when you got a corner at one end as long as you could keep it in play you would normally get another because it was so frantic trying to clear it, it was a funny old day for that?
JB
Yeah, in the first five minutes I was just running from corner to corner to take corners, and then they have had about five or six corners in a row. So, it was difficult with the wind but sometimes you have got to try to use the wind to bend it in there kind of thing. But, once you are against the wind it is diffcult to get it in there, but I felt I did alright.
JP
Of games for Carlisle in recent years I can't think of many where more things have gone wrong than the game at Charlton earlier this season in the league, you go back there now in the FA Cup, is there perhaps a revenge to get on Charlton, but is there something you want to go back there and prove down there?
JB
Yeah, definitely, you know, none of us were happy coming away with a defeat like that and it is never nice, but we have got another chance to put it right you know to the fans that went down and that will go down this time, we have got to make it up to them by putting a good performance in.
JP
And often teams can be fortunate with the draw and sort of glide through to the third round of the FA Cup and draw one of the big boys, if Carlisle United are going to get to that opportunity this time then you are going to have to beat the best and the biggest and the highest placed team in the competition at this stage, so if you get there you will have had to earn it?
JB
Yeah, they are the top of the league by a bit and they are probably the best team in the league at the moment, so it is going to be a good challenge for us but we want to play against the best in the league and we have got another chance.
JP
And Dave Hewson, you might not know these names, Dave Hewson has won and Kyle May was second in Workington Reds' Movember moustache. Who is winning, who is out there in the lead at the moment for Carlisle United, because I know quite a few, including yourself, are sporting them?
JB
I would say I am down at the bottom by a mile, but the physiotherapist Dolly (Neil Dalton) is up there, Lee Miller has got a good 'tache going, Paddy Madden's is terrible and so is Liam Noble's, not very good.
JP
Paddy Madden is hindered by the fact his is just blonde, so you can barely see it even close up?
JB
Yeah, he has got a see through 'tache, so it is not good.