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" We were in a position at 2-0 at half-time, I must say though that I thought we were fortunate to be 2-0 up. I did warn the players that if we didn't up our game in the second-half then this game was nowhere near finished, and that proved to be correct.
" I couldn't tell from where I was if our second goal was offside but we found ourselves 2-0 up at half-time and we felt that Carlisle didn't do bad in the first-half. They probably didn't deserve to be 2-0 down but we found ourselves in that position. I thought we were a little bit off the pace in the first-half if I'm honest and they scored a goal within four minutes of the restart.
" You don't want to concede a goal that early without a shadow of a doubt if you are going to concede a goal at all. At 2-1 Danny (Glover) has gone through and he was just a little bit heavy with his touch and that didn't materialise. In saying that though we've got to be stronger and that is an element that was missing today. Let's face it, the second goal is a punt isn't it if that is the right word, a punt from 50 yards and he (Simon Hackney) gets behind our back-line and bang 2-2.
" They finished the last two goals very well but if you are strong then they don't get there do they. We've had a chat about things after the game and we'll go again next week. You shut one game down and you move on to the next one but if you are asking me if there are party poppers going off in our dressing room then of course there aren't.
" That is disappointing obviously in today's game for us but I could see it coming if I'm totally honest. I will not look at games through rose-tinted glasses, a position was presented to ourselves, although yes we did finish the goals well, and we should have made more of it. What I warned them about at half-time happened. "
" I thought that, especially with the wind in assistance, that on corners against Charlie (O'Loughlin) would help us but it was more for open play that I took Jason Talbot off. That hopefully the ball wouldn't keep on coming back because that's the last thing that we wanted, they had the wind as well as we had it in the first-half. I wanted him to be more of a physical presence up there.
" It was a tactic to want the wind in the first-half, you never know if the wind will change but it did exactly the same. It did exactly that at Vale Park though a couple of weeks ago for Luton, I think they had it in the first-half and it changed around and they had it in the second-half. So you are always going to take the wind but the conditions are not a reason, they're not an excuse for today's defeat. If you find yourselves 2-0 up then you shouldn't lose the game.
" We are working very hard to improve it but everyone is extremely busy and sometimes you have to wait for other clubs to conclude their business before you can conclude your business with that club. So, like I said before, we are not sitting idly playing darts in my room, we're working behind the scenes and we are fully aware of where we need to improve and we are working extremely hard to do so.
" Luke Rodgers will hopefully be back with us on Tuesday but Calum Willock is leaving us next week, he has decided to go and join Stevenage. You'd have to ask him the reason behind it as it's not my decision obviously, it's Calum's decision. Like I said before this window opened, decisions will be made in the best interest of Port Vale football club regardless of individuals, that policy will not change.
" We'll be working on the training pitch next week like we always work whoever we are playing. The team shape, obviously the confidence matter of things and we will work on the same things that we normally work on. "