United man of the match Jon-Paul McGovern (J-PM) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) and Paul Newton (PN) following Carlisle's 1-1 League One draw at home to Walsall, McGovern devastated not to score after hitting the woodwork twice :
JP
I don't know if you have gone under any ladders or had any black cats go across your path today but striking the woodwork twice in the first-half, you must be gutted that you didn't get a goal?
J-PM
Yeah, I was pretty devastated, I think for my Dad as well, he has got me on for the first goalscorer so I could see him cursing me in the stand there. I was unlucky with the first one, it has come across, a great ball in and I took it on the half-volley and it has hit the bar. The free-kick, I have been practising them and trying to get an opportunity and I was a bit unlucky.
JP
I bet he was really unhappy that you passed when you could have shot then for what was the opener?
J-PM
Yeah, I think he was the only one that wasn't cheering in the stadium to be honest, but I just felt Lee (Miller) was in a better position. We have broken the play up, got lucky a little bit, got a ricochet and I just felt he was in a better position to score the goal.
JP
Is seeing that sort of pass in that sort of position what comes with a bit of time together? Would you maybe not have seen that at the start of the season or not have known that Lee Miller would have been there? Is that something that you get from all playing together for a little while now?
J-PM
I think yeah that helps, I think probably maybe another player might have shot to try to get the goal but I have not got enough goals in my career and maybe that is one of the reasons. I just feel that if someone is in a better position then I put them in, I don't think that would have mattered if it was the start of the season or the end of the season. I think Lee did the same for Francois (Zoko) only a couple of weeks ago and I think that just shows the experience we have picked up and how good the players are who are onto it.
JP
We have just had our fan on their, Ali, saying that if the second goal had come then Carlisle would have probably won today, would you guys go along with that?
J-PM
Yeah, I think we are quite frustrated in the dressing room, probably you could see the frustration from the fans during the game, there were a few moans and groans.
JP
I think a lot of the boos were for the referee (Craig Pawson) actually rather than you guys?
J-PM
Yeah, definitely, no comment on the referee, i definitely told him what I thought, especially for me it was never a penalty. I think the boy (Andy Butler) went for it in my opinion, and he got the penalty and kind of conned the ref a little bit. We had a couple of half-chances that I think on maybe another day might have fell nice for us, but they didn't. But, we are still unbeaten, we take the draw, it was a hard tie, it was one we maybe could and should have won but we will take the point. You see the other results, everyone is dropping points so it is not too bad, it is not too bad a point when you look at it, on the other side of it it is a wee bit frustrating that we couldn't capitalise.
JP
Still right on the fringe of the play-offs obviously, I mean it looks like you are going to be involved and have a say in that come the end of the season, fingers crossed on that, was it sort of not an off day but like an on-off day today because you were in all the right areas Carlisle today but when the little flicks and the little passes in those tight areas fell they just weren't quite falling right, whereas in other games they have been spot on and they have found their way into the back of the net?
J-PM
Yeah, I don't think we played with as much flow today, I think when we have been in tight areas we have been able to play a one-two, get a little pass, get a little flick round the corner. I think the momentum that we had picked up, we maybe lost a little today, but at the end of the day we have come and we have got another draw today against a hard side who have got good results, I think they have only been beat two in nine or something like that. So, we take it as a point, still unbeaten and we go on to next week full of confidence.
JP
You have seen Jordan Cook obviously in training, the fans just got this little bit of him today, he almost scored a late goal as well to help United to the win, what have you made of him and how big of an impact could he have here?
J-PM
Yeah, he looks very sharp, he looks to get on the ball, he tends to drop a little bit deeper as a striker, gets on it, and he is coming to get experience and hopefully he can be a big player for us.
JP
And perhaps as young as he looks, I kept calling Chris Chantler at left-back young Chantler, because he looks about 12 but of course he is 21, he is older than (Liam) Noble, he is the same age as (James) Berrett, but it was his first start in professional football, how do you think he acquitted himself?
J-PM
I thought he did fantastic, he has done really well in training, he has come in, I think he is more of a midfield player to start with, he can sit in front of the back four or in the midfield getting on it. He really sees a pass and plays it nice and early, he is a good all-round football player and I thought today he did absolutely fantastically and it is all credit to him on his debut.
JP
And another man of the match for you, keep doing this and you will have to start giving these watches away as presents to people?
J-PM
That is actually my first man of the match believe it or not.
JP
Oh is it, I thought you...............
J-PM
I was trying to pretend I was Lee Miller, I think Lee Miller gets it before the start of the game. I have seen him getting pictures taken and stuff with the watch before the game just to confirm those rumours. But, it is just nice to get a man of the match, you just play away and at the end of the day it is a team game and if you get that then you take it.
JP
Richly deserved, and it has been coming for a while and long may it continue, well done.
J-PM
Thank you very much.
PN
Is it true Lee Miller gives all his close family and friends watches for Christmas?
J-PM
Erm, I would like to count myself as one of his close friends and I have never got a watch from him, but he is quite tight. But, he is a great lad and he has done really well here and I think the fans appreciate how much hard work he puts in.
PN
And a quick word about Tom Taiwo, Greg Abbott revealed tonight that he became a father yesterday. do we know whether it is a boy or a girl?
J-PM
It is a little girl, everything is good with it and he came back last night, we made him some dinner and he came in and got some well deserved sleep. I told him to just try to catch up on his sleep because he won't be getting much over the next year or two.