Reaction From Blues Scorer Paul Thirlwell

Last updated : 28 August 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Blues skipper Paul Thirlwell
United captain Paul Thirlwell (PT) spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's James Phillips (JP) after Carlisle's 1-1 draw at Colchester, Thirlwell saying the Blues deserved a point after their second-half performance :


PT

In the first-half we weren't happy with our performance really. In games gone by we might have come in and said it was OK, but the standards we have set so far this season meant we weren't happy with it.

We were all disappointed when we came in and we said to be more like ourselves in the second-half and push ourselves on five or ten yards and get right in their faces. I think we managed to do that and played pretty much the entire second-half in their half. Then it gets to the point where you don't think you are going to get one, and then that is what you pay the goalscorers for.





JP

And you are the goalscorer tonight. It just felt like it perhaps wasn't going to come to you, it hit the post, the goalkeeper (Mark Cousins) had made a stupendous save from Gary Madine, (Craig) Curran had come close as well. Did it ever enter your mind that it just wasn't going to be your day?

PT

Yeah, well I would like to say it was planned but the debacle of the throw-in down here where I don't know what Murph (Peter Murphy) has done. Kav (Graham Kavanagh) has got it and then Frank (Simek) has tried to hit a volley from 30 yards which has gone about five.

Then it has just ricocheted away and it was just one of those I suppose, you just try to get in the box and hope it is going to drop to one of us. Thankfully it did, so I just swung a left foot at it and thankfully it went in.





JP

For us layman fans, what does it feel like when you go into a dressing-room having rescued a point like that? What a contrast of course to the point you got at Plymouth?

PT

Well, exactly that, it feels good because we thoroughly deserved it. I think it shows what character we have got to play not so well in the first-half, when in past games we maybe would have gone under and lost that by a couple more goals. But, it shows the spirit that we have got at the minute that we have come out, and to be fair to us we have battered them a bit in the second-half and we have got our deserved goal.





JP

John Ward had clearly thought about this game hadn't he, he stuck Kemal Izzet on Francois Zoko, that certainly limited what he could do, and they also played very wide in that first-half. They thought about trying to combat the diamond but it worked through in the end.

PT

That is all it was really, we just didn't think we were at it in the first-half. The gaffer (Greg Abbott) has said that we will go out for 10 to 15 minutes and if the same happens then he might change the way we are playing. But, we went out and played exactly the same way, but just got five or ten further yards up the pitch, got in their faces and the rest is history, we got a deserved point.





JP

And another good footballing side (Swindon), another tough side, it has been some start to the season for you, coming up next weekend. You have had a tough run of games here, they have made you work for all the points you have accrued?

PT

Yeah, it has been excellent, if you can pick up points away from home and win your home games then that is what it is all about. It is going to stand us in good stead. But, we know we are going to have days where we are not so good, like the first-half today. But, it is all about character and retrieving it in the second-half, and long may it continue.





JP

Eight days now to prepare for the game against Swindon next weekend. Plenty of time to get in the right frame of mind and I guess tomorrow you can put your feet up and watch the others try to catch you?

PT

Yeah, it would be nice, get the Gillette Soccer Saturday on, I don't very often see that. So, yeah, it will be nice and it makes the trip home a lot more enjoyable, because the Plymouth one, albeit we did get a point, there wasn't much laughter on the bus on the way back. So, we feel like we have sort of got that one back if you like, I know we would have liked the three points at Plymouth, but getting a point tonight has sort of made up for that a little bit.





JP

Thanks ever so much for your time, well done tonight, a scrambled goal……

PT

They all count, it doesn't matter how they go in.

JP

I bet it feels as good as some of your goals?

PT

What do you mean some? There are not that many of them are there.