John Ward On Yet Another Home Win

Last updated : 09 March 2008 By Thetashkentterror

John Ward
United boss John Ward spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Saturday evening as he talked about the 2-0 victory against Brighton at Brunton Park yesterday, Ward suggesting that his side had done well at set-plays in the game :


" I've just said to the players that we may not get the credit for this win that it deserves because of the circumstances. I've said to you over the last three or four weeks that I don't worry about the boys in the circumstances dealing with the situations, it's just whether we are going to be good enough. Today though we've dug out a hard first-half, certainly where we have got a goal up, but the weather conditions are exceptionally difficult to play in today.

" We've weathered them though, we've got through that, done very, very well and then the second-half I thought we played some very good football with that bit of breeze behind us. So the whole afternoon has been a reward for a solid team effort and we've got to now try to recover quickly and do it again on Tuesday, which is fair enough.

" He (Scott Dobie) is unwell, he rang in this morning with a bit of a virus. Dennis Booth is not so well, he's here but we've kept him out of the way of the players, Greg (Abbott) was in bed for a couple of days last week with it before the Forest game. So we just don't want that around the place and we've had to go without him, but everyone else has pulled their weight and done very well.

" The home record is good, the points on the board are really important now and that's what we are trying to do. If any records come with that then it's lovely but today was about winning and I didn't want an after the Lord Mayor's Show performance, we've got it in a real positive vein and that's what I wanted from the team. "



" If I had been Brighton then I wouldn't have minded playing us today, thinking that this would be not a bad time to come to Carlisle and stop them working. They tried hard to do that to give them credit, they didn't make life easy at all for us. They came and had a go at us and attacked us but we stood firmly, I thought my goalkeeper (Keiren Westwood) again and my centre-half and captain Danny Livesey led the team exceptionally well.

" The whole team, without obviously going through them all name by name, defended when we had to, but we showed some really bright football. In a scruffy, scrappy first-half we got some bright football that brought us the goal and that's what is counting for us at the minute, we are getting through things.

" There are pivotal moments in every game, we watched the video of the Forest match and they could have had a goal or two, they'll be saying that. In tight games, most games are very tight, but they (Brighton) are going to have opportunities. I turned to Greg and asked him how it didn't go in when they had the chance that hit the woodwork because you just thought the net was going to go.

" We've ridden that though and then we deal with it at the other end with a break ourselves. So if things are going our way then we'll take them but you have to play well in a way to make it happen that way. It doesn't just come your way if you are just meandering through your games, we've played very positively today and we've got a very good result. "



" We said at half-time that we'd had the kick up the backside from the chances that Brighton had had. We said just because we had got the wind behind us it didn't mean that it was going to be our game and comfortable on that, we did need the second goal. It was actually good build-up play in winning the corner, and that's a pleasing thing because we know set-plays can be vital.

" We have to play in a way that we earn them or get into them though. The build-up play to the corner was exceptionally good and quality play and then we've got the goal. My centre-half has come through again, "shinner" Livesey we are calling him, telling him it when he shinned that one in against Cheltenham. Shinner Livesey is there again, he's a good lad.

" We are saying that we are not excluding anybody, but we are saying that we are doing this for us and we are doing it for the dressing-room. To do that we have to look towards the next bit, you've just seen as I am chatting to you the boys coming off from their recovery tanks.

" They go in and get the cold baths, on a day like this that's not so great for them but they are doing it, and they want to do it because it helps and it gets them ready for Tuesday. Whilst everyone has probably popped into the pub chatting about the game we are getting ready for the next football match, and that's our job and that's what we'll do.

" I'm not looking at the loan market yet, I'm fine, you've just seen Gary Madine in a couple of little cameo appearances and there is a good young player there coming out. We've needed all the squad again today and we'll need that again on Tuesday. We'll look at it as we go through the next few games. It's a big occasion for him (Madine) as you can imagine but it gives encouragement to all the other youngsters that there are opportunities at Carlisle United for young players. If they are good enough then we'll give them a chance. "