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"I am disappointed because it hasn't gone our way but we have competed valiantly without playing really well today. We have had a real go at it but we got effected in the final 15 minutes of the first half when we lost our way a bit in terms of shape and direction. We tried to re-group at half time.
"The opening 15 minutes was really exciting, end-to-end football. Both goalkeepers have pulled off fantastic goal-bound saves and then they found one strike in a tight game that has changed the direction of the game. We couldn't find that little bit of play or good fortune to get ourselves an even share of the spoils. We started the game well enough and could have had a goal or two but their goal was a great strike and it changed the shape of the game.
"The goal gave Carlisle a lift and that's what happens when you get a goal. I thought the game was stop-start and particularly after the goal and that suited the away team. We were chasing the game so they were in no hurry, as it would have been if it was the other way round. I thought we reacted quite well after the goal but we just went a little ragged after that and we struggled to put our stamp on the game then in the second half. We came away from a tight game with nothing and that's disappointing.
"Our supply could have been better in terms of quality. We got the ball in the box enough times but we haven't found the right quality, and that is frustrating. We have got into favourable positions in open and set play but we have not delivered as good as we like. Every now again we rushed shots at goal and that is what happens when you are chasing the game. It happened a bit too early today and I wanted to see more composure."
"We reminded ourselves that we had gone a goal down to Swansea here and came back to win the game by being organised and composed, as we did against Bournemouth last week, but it didn't happen today and that's life in football. We have to get on with it. We changed things around two or three times to try and get ourselves a goal but it was one of those afternoons when we were hoping for something to drop for us and nothing would. Credit to Carlisle, though, because they played very well and I cannot deny them their win.
"We had 17 chances at goal at Tranmere, and we tried to go forward as often as we could today so we were not counter attacking. Carlisle can come back at you with the likes of (Kevin) Gall and (Johann) Smith on the wings but we have had enough of the ball around the penalty area to get something better out of the game. I'm not grumbling about the result but we could have got a break and that may have altered proceedings. But we couldn't score for only the second time in ten games and Carlisle did so we lost the game.
"David Bird has only really trained at full pace on Thursday and Friday so it was a little bit early for him today. We have a reserves game on Wednesday so he will be involved there but it would have been too frantic for him today. Craig Armstrong and John Finnigan have been great in there but David will get back in and around the squad soon enough.
"I'm not worreid about the other results because I'll catch up on them as the day goes on. I'm more interested in us. We have nothing to add to the points total so other results are immaterial. Football doesn't follow logic. We have shown we have the quality to stay up in the division. I wasn't asked that question at Tranmere because the answer was obvious. I don't go up and down with different answers today just because it didn't go our way. I have no doubt we can stay up, and people shouldn't change their view after one football match. We are strong enough and good enough to do the job and we have to get on with it."