Carlisle United Football Club

“I thought Tom Anderson and Courtney Meppen-Walter defended well as a partnership,” he said. “We told Danny Grainger it was going to be about how well he played against his direct opposition because we felt that was going to be their mainthreat. He did very well. 

“Connor Brown stood up to his task manfully and that gives you a platform. I don’t think there were many times when Dan Hanford was called on and that’s always pleasing.”

“People will say that Billy Paynter lacks a bit of pace but we knew we had pace around him in this game. Matt Robson was able to run at people and take them on and Derek Asamoah will always stretch a team. 

“We had Gary Dicker who could find a pass and there was Kyle Dempsey to get forward and join them. That meant that Billy could go out and play as a centre forward because he had people who could work off his strengths. He contributed really well and he gave us a springboard to attack from.

“It was good to see Sean O’Hanlon back on the bench. We know what he can be and the more we get him on the grass the better. He has been suffering from a deflated lung, from a knock he got a few weeks, and he had to spend a couple of days in hospital. The difficulty he has now is in expanding it when he breathes. That should improve quickly now that he’s back at work.”

On the ongoing talks with the players who are yet give a formal response to their contract offers, he said: “Patrick [Brough] is in the process of finding out about some of the nitty gritty details he needs before he signs. He’s asked the club to investigate something to do with medical insurance and we’re hoping that can get tidied up on Monday or Tuesday. 

“The rest of them have been given their official letters and they get 14 days to reply. The thing to remember is the lads who haven’t signed yet love playing for this club. However, they’re entitled to hold negotiations. That’s part and parcel of what contract offers are. What they all know is that, whatever the situation, if they keep performing they’ll be in the team. If there’s a drop in their performance levels they’ll be out of it.

“Everything we do is about looking after the first team and making sure everything there is right. We have a friendly arranged for Tuesday against Blackburn and we would expect to have four or five trialists involved in that. We then have one the following week against Burnley and we would look to do the same again. That’s something we will continue to do because we’re continually looking at ways of improving the squad, be that through adding to it or by getting those who haven’t had much football some game time.”