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JP
Great to see you out there, I am sure the home fans enjoyed that home debut for you, how did you find being here as opposed to perhaps the result to start with?
RL
It is great, to make your home debut is always good, it was just disappointing that we were 1-0 down at the time, and also disappointing that we didn't kick on and manage to win the game. But, I had a few chances to score and I was a wee bit disappointed not to score, but I was happy overall with how I did, I am just really disappointed that we didn't get a result.
JP
What did you make of the overall display today? Just didn't take chances early on again as we have seen in a couple of recent matches, and then got punished later?
RL
It wasn't great, the first-half wasn't great, we conceded, which is always hard against teams like Walsall who are going to come here and if they score the first goal then they are going to sit back and defend and try to counter against us, and that is exactly what happened. We pushed forward in the second-half trying to get an equaliser and were unlucky not to get one, and then we got punished at the other end, which is disappointing.
JP
In terms of your own display, you showed a willingness to have a go, you had a couple of shots that were saved by the goalkeeper (Jimmy Walker), you had one that we thought was a shot that flashed just wide of the far-post that you are claiming was a cross. But, Carlisle lacked a little bit of that, somebody to play upfront who wants to shoot and not pass, is that what your game could be about for United?
RL
Yeah, of course, all strikers want to score goals, and I just look to get on the ball and try to create for the team, whether it is setting other people up or scoring goals myself. I was disappointed not to score today, I had a couple of chances but the main thing is that I was there to have the attempts rather than not being able to have any attempts. So, I was quite happy but just really, really disappointed with the result.
JP
The best times, although you have not been here for the full season, but the best times for Carlisle this year they have had a very settled back line, even including loan players because they have been in for a good run. That was broken today with (Joe) Dudgeon and (Liam) Cooper not being there, did that rock the boys at the back a little bit?
RL
Er, I don't think so, big Danny (Livesey) is an experienced player, so he came in. No, I don't think you can fault anyone, the second goal is a bit of a killer, Tom (Taiwo) was really unlucky, you could see the ball moving all over the place as he was trying to head it, so that was really unlucky from our point of view and they managed to score that, and that kind of killed the game off a bit, and we were just all out attack after that.
So, no, I think that is maybe a bit unfair to say, big Lubo (Lubomir Michalik) is an experienced defender, so is Frank (Simek) and so is (Peter) Murphy on the other side. So, no, you have just got to put it down to a bad performance on the day and hopefully we can kick on and qualify on Tuesday.
JP
We are still waiting to hear from Greg Abbott, we will interestingly listen to what he has got to say, what did he tell the players? How has he looked to move things forward with you after this one today?
RL
I think these things happen you know, you can't play well every game and we were unlucky as much as we did play bad today. Everybody is disappointed, but you have just got to put these things behind you and look to the next game rather than dwell on it and think that we should have done this or we should have done that. Because, that will affect our next performance and that is the last thing you want.
JP
Coming in and playing as well as you did as we were saying, all three of us up here including Chris Lumsdon have said that you were the highlight from the day for Carlisle the way that you operated upfront, are you hoping for maybe a bit of starting action if it comes your way on Tuesday?
RL
Well, that is ultimately the manager's (Greg Abbott's) decision. I am here to do as well as I can do and if that merits a place in the team then that merits a place in the team, and obviously I would be delighted with that. But, at the end of the day that is the manager's decision, I am just going to work as hard as I can and give my all whether I am picked or whether I am coming off the bench.
JP
And what did you make of the home support here today? Just over 4,000 of them, for most of the match they were with the team, I think disappointed in the end but they certainly try to get behind you where they can don't they?
RL
Yeah, there were still a lot of people here at the end, when you are losing 3-0 with five minutes to go you don't often see that. So, no, I was very impressed with the fans, I just hope that they can get behind us and they can bring a good support on Tuesday night and hopefully we can do the business and we can all celebrate together on Tuesday night.
JP
You won't be here again for a while, I think the 22nd of February is the next match here against Exeter, quite a few away days and you will need those fans behind you on those, as Walsall's were to their credit today?
RL
Yeah, of course, they didn't bring many but they made themselves heard. So, hopefully Carlisle can do that on Tuesday night and then all the games after that and we can kick on and we can do it as a team and as a group, and the fans can join in and we can all do it together.