Carlisle United Football Club

"There's nothing worse than being involved in a game like last Saturday," he admitted. "It was embarrassing really. Being a professional in any sport means you shouldn't get beaten by that margin. It isn't good enough. We've all held our hands up to that and even the lads who weren't involved have taken some responsibility because it's a whole team effort."

"It is difficult to put your finger on what went wrong," he said. "Everything we tried didn't work and everything they tried did. It was very comfortable for them in the end and it probably could have been more than six.

"For us to score just before half time and get it back to 2-1 gave us a boost. The third goal was maybe the killer goal and when it got to four there was just no way back for us."

"We'll look to put it right on Friday and generally our home form has been good," he added. "We've been playing some good football. I've been watching it for the last few weeks and it's been entertaining. We've been defending really well and I think four clean sheets out of five before the Preston game shows that. 

"Friday is a must win game for us and the lads are all determined to do that. We had a positive day yesterday and everyone was lively in training. We'll carry that on during this week and make sure there's a really positive attitude around the squad. Hopefully that will mean we're on the front foot on Friday."

"I think there is an added responsibility as a senior player but the young lads do need to help each other as well," he insisted. "A few of us have been in this situation before whereas the younger players haven't, so experience like that does help. Like I say, you have to add a element of responsibility for yourself to that."

On his previous experiences of being at the wrong end of the table, he said: "I was in my early 20's when we were in a relegation scrap at Hartlepool and it was tough. 

"Confidence can become a big issue when you're down there because nobody wants to be fighting against relegation. We had experienced players in the squad who tried to rally round everyone but sometimes you need people to bring it out of themselves. 

"You can't get away from looking at the league table and the fact is that it doesn't lie. With five games left it's up to us to get ourselves out of it. We've still got 15 points to play for and even though some of those games are difficult, on paper, nothing is a given in football."

"I think there's bound to be added nerves in a situation like this," he commented. "They might be evident in the first ten minutes or so on Friday but, once we settle into the game, hopefully everything will be more relaxed and we'll start playing the football the fans and ourselves know we can. As we get closer to the game the tempo in training will increase and hopefully come 3pm on Friday we'll be really bright and get a good start under our belts. 

"We want to win every game but there is a bit of pressure on us to do that now. We need to win but we can't go out there feeling any fear because of that. If you let it affect your performance you can end up forcing the game and trying too hard. We need to be in a relaxed state of mind so that we can get out there and play some decent football."

"I'm getting there in terms of my match fitness," he told us. "I think I was out for six weeks so it was always going to take a bit of time to get back up to speed. The injury I had meant it was difficult to get out and do the running and things like that, so time on the training field is massive for me. 

"I'm desperate to play but the team is more important. Chants [Chris Chantler] has come in and done very well. I was speaking to him yesterday and he's really positive about his fitness and the way he's playing so it will be difficult to get his shirt off him. If I'm needed I'll be there, but he has been terrific."