We caught up with Joe Anyinsah to talk about his return to first team action last weekend.
He told us: "It was nice to come back in after missing the FA Cup game, and I was fairly pleased with my own performance against Brighton. As a team, I think we're all feeling fairly disappointed that we didn't get the 3 points, but we have to put it behind us and get on with the next one now."
"We've been doing a lot of work in training, recently, and it has all been geared around closing down the other team when we don't have the ball," he explained. "We put it in to practice last weekend, and I thought that we pressed really well, especially in the first half. When we got ourselves back in front, and then when they had the man sent off, that was when it was time to kill the game. We didn't do that and we paid the price for it in the end. We sat off them a little bit when they had a player sent off, and that allowed them to build up some momentum and get the equaliser."
"It was never going to be an easy game," he admitted, "but it shows the standards and expectations that we have now, because we are disappointed when we don't get the result we want. There is a lot of belief in the dressing room, and even though we knew they were on a good run, we still felt it was a game we could win. Looking back, though, it was a good point and, like I say, it's something we can build on against Swindon."
"It also goes without saying that we were disappointed about what happened in the Cup games," he added, "but we've rolled our sleeves up after that and we've shown a determination to put things right. If we keep it going then we'll be doing alright."
On the Joe Garner goal, he told us: "I was inches away from getting the touch on that one, probably even closer! I stretched and swang for it and threw everything at it but, luckily, Joe was there as well and he was able to put it away. Of course it's nice to score but it doesn't matter who gets it, as long as one of us does."
"Getting the point kept us in the top three," he said, "and it means that we are still pushing and still up there. We want to keep it that way for as long as we can."
"I have really enjoyed myself here," he said, "and I'm not just saying that for the sake of it. It's not down to me what happens after December 18, I'll just keep working hard and see what comes. It's down to Preston and Carlisle to sort things like that out. For me, it's just great to be playing a part in what has been a superb run for Carlisle United. Being involved in first team games is all any footballer really wants. Long may it continue but, beyond the end of the loan spell, we just have to wait and see what happens."
