Carlisle United Football Club

Danny Grainger on his penalty against Leyton Orient

Captain Danny Grainger spoke to us shortly after full time on Saturday following the 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient.

"We're disappointed that we haven't won the game," he said. "They're a good team and they'll be up there come the end of the season. We're still unbeaten and we've got to take the positives out of that.

"We looked at the fixtures at the start of the season and the first ten couldn't have been much harder. It's fantastic that we've stayed unbeaten and I still think we've got it in us to give a team a bit of a hiding.

"We haven't been able to get the first goal again, which is frustrating, but it would be more frustrating if we weren't creating the chances. When I first came to the club we struggled to draw a game but we'd much rather take one point than none.

"If we weren't creating these chances we would be more worried. Everyone in the dressing room is frustrated that we're conceding goals but we know it's all coming together."

On coming from behind twice to secure a point, he said: "There is a resilience there. That isn't just the back four, or the two holding midfielders, it's the whole team.

"Everyone works hard and we're restricting teams to one or two chances a game. It's just very fustrating that they seem to be taking them."

The late penalty at the weekend brought him the opportunity to open his account for the season, and he didn't disappoint with a well-taken strike.

"I'm always confident when I step up to take a penalty," he told us. "I hit a few on a Friday and Max [Crocombe] goes in goal for me. I pick my side so I know where I'm going to go before the game.

"It was nice to see it go in and I'm delighted we got the point. I didn't see the handball but I think we've been due a penalty when you see the way Michael Raynes gets marked in the box from set pieces."

"You have to be confident with every penalty," he confirmed. "I had to wait a while to take it but I've taken them at most clubs I've been at, so I do have belief in myself. The manager puts the responsibility on my shoulders and I was delighted to see it hit the back of the net and help earn us the draw."

"There is frustration in the dressing room," he admitted. "Opposition teams just seem to be getting the rub of the green in front of our goal.

"The first one went between Mark Gillespie's legs, which is so unfortunate, because if it's half a foot either side he saves it. The second goal went right into the bottom corner and Mark had no chance. I can't really remember them having any other chances so that's the frustrating side of it.

"We've had to come from behind but we've got to look at the positives. We'll analyse things but if someone had offered any of the fans to be seven unbeaten at the start of the season, and sitting just outside the play-offs before a ball was kicked, I'd have been surprised if anyone said no."

"We've played games with the formation we started with today and battered teams," he explained. "Orient just seemed to get hold of it quicker than we wanted them to. We wanted to get out the traps quicker and get the ball in between the lines, but we just couldn't seem to get it going today.

"We changed to a back four midway through the first half and the manager made the two changes at half time. It was fantastic to see Charlie [Wyke] come on and score again. There's no one more disappointed than Charlie when he's left out, but his attitude when he does come on is brilliant. It shows what it means to him and the manager knows what he can do.

"We know there's goals in our team. If you look at Jabo [Ibehre], Charlie and Shaun [Miller] they had more than 45 goals between them last season. The rest of us will chip in as well, so there are goals in the team. If we can keep a clean sheet we know we're going to win the game."

Yet again on Saturday the fans stayed behind to clap the team off the pitch suggesting that a bond is beginning to develop as the unbeaten run continues.

"The fans have been extremely good this season," he continued. "They've been really positive and the players do notice it. There are going to be days when they'll be frustrated, we're frustrated today, but it's nice to see them still standing there at the end.

"There will be 2,500 at least at Blackpool which is fantastic. We know our fans travel well, they'll be noisy as ever, so fingers crossed we can keep this unbeaten run going and give them three points to enjoy. We've got a big week of training this week and I kno we'll be ready to go.

"It will be nice to see Pottsy [Brad Potts] again as long as he's on the losing side! He was fantastic for us and I'm glad to see he's doing well. He scored again so he'll be one we'll have to keep an eye on."

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