United manager Keith Curle gave us his reaction to the away victory at Port Vale shortly after full time on Saturday afternoon.
“It was a result that was important for the dressing room because I asked them to make sure they put in a performance they could be proud of,” he said. “With two games to go the demands were no less than they were for the first game of the season.
“I will always ask and expect the players to do things correctly. They have to take a lot of credit because they’ve kept their standards high, and that has been extremely important. They ignored the distractions of this week and they played for their fans.
“I think it was important that we showed that we still have pride in what we do for the shirt. We started playing well in the first half but we lacked the cutting edge we needed.”
“I was disappointed with the goal we gave away, but it was identified that we weren’t causing them enough problems and I knew we needed to do something,” he added. “A change of shape and personnel in the second half did that for us and it brought us the goals.
“It was nice to see Luke Joyce and Mike Jones getting forward and there was real forward momentum from us after the break, and we looked dangerous. We’d been working the ball well as we played through lines, but we didn’t get enough bodies into the box.
“The changes helped us to be build on the quality in our possession and add something extra in the final third. An individual moment of skill and a team effort got us the result we wanted. It was an excellent finish from Ashley Nadesan.
“With your substitutions, you always want them to have an impact, and Hallam Hope showed real determination to get on the end of the move which got us the victory.”
On the late removal of Hallam Hope from the field of play just before the end of the game, he told us: “Another week of training would have been ideal, but he was desperate to play. He got what I would describe as a team goal and I know he’ll look after himself. We’re hoping it’s just a spasm and hopefully it will settle down.
“It was touch and go how much we gave him during the game, but he was desperate to play. It’s the same throughout the dressing room – don’t tell them there’s nothing to play for because they all want to be involved. It’s a great dressing room to be involved with.”
“As a fitting end to the season – an away win, with the support we’ve had – we couldn’t have asked for much more,” he commented. “The players showed great character to come back from the disappointment of conceding and, as I say, it’s a very fitting end to what has been an enjoyable time as manager of this club.
“Going over to the fans at the end was very emotional. There were a lot of people thanking me for putting pride back into Carlisle United. That means a lot to me because I’ve given everything I can as a professional to this football club.
“I’ve made decisions that have upset people, but I’ve always felt they were the right decisions. I’ve praised people when they’ve deserved it, I’ve always been available, and I’ve made myself a focal point for the club.
“It hasn’t all been easy or plain sailing, but I’ve always had the belief that everything I’ve done has been for the betterment of the football team.”
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