The incredible atmosphere generated by both sets of fans last Sunday was just part of the reason why the game was so enjoyable to watch, and keeper Tomas Holy admitted this week that it was the main reason why he enjoys English football so much.
“What do you want me to say,” he asked us when we asked him about what it was like to be on the pitch engulfed by that noise. “Like I said ages ago, we tried to play in front of no crowd during Covid and it was so boring.
“This is completely different, and it’s actually the reason why I love football in England. People just come for these games and it creates an incredible atmosphere. Both clubs were brilliant, 18,000 from Bradford and 2,500 from us, and that really is why I love football.
“To be in it, it just gives you something I can’t even explain. The feeling and emotions, everything is raised one or two levels higher. I don’t know how to explain it. It gives you an extra boost.”
And it’s important to handle the occasion which, after the goal was conceded, United’s players did particularly well.
“I felt we handled it, yes,” he agreed. “Personally I tried my best and, to be fair, I’m satisfied with my performance, especially with those aerial duels.
“With Cookie up front they are really strong and they play with discipline. I think, and this isn’t just me, all of us with Hunts, Corey and Ben dealt with it really well. And I have to say that they might even have been a bit lucky with the goal.
“The first touch, just before Jack Armer cold get it, opened it up and when you have the biggest space between your legs in Central Europe it’s kind of a situation where you don’t need much skill in getting the ball through it.
“It was kind of lucky, I would say, but he did it hit it really clean. He caught it straight in the middle and all I could try to do was knock my knees together, that’s all I could do, and it went through.”
That first half finish from Jamie Walker means that Bradford have the advantage heading into the Saturday fixture.
“Straight after the game, while we were still on the pitch, there wasn’t a single one of us who felt even a little bit down or negative,” he told us. “Even when the final whistle went, after what we’d seen, I was thinking that we were going to be ok.
“I felt like it was our advantage because we’re going home to play. People, our fans, will give us absolutely everything, as we will for them, and I think we will turn this around. There was literally nobody, not a single person, who thought like it was going to be anything else.
“We are a goal down, we know that but, like I say, that might be to our advantage. After all it’s a game that’s played in the mind as well, and they might have it in their heads that they’re a goal up and they might want to defend that.
“For us, we have nothing to lose, we’ll be going for it from the first whistle and, being honest, I have full belief.”
And the fact is that this game is now a straight knockout, with extra time and penalties scheduled should they be required.
“The season is over and it no longer matters what results we’ve had, what the goal difference was, or how many clean sheets,” he said. “It’s all about us being 1-0 down at half time and we now have 90 minutes to do something to turn it round, and I believe we definitely will.
“We will try to make it as horrible as possible for Bradford when they come here, and I hope the fans will create a hell of an atmosphere.
“If we need penalties, I back myself, so we’ll just want and see. The big thing is that we want to do it for the fans. Look, it’s always easier for us all to be positive when we’re in this position, it would maybe be more difficult if we were fighting to stay up, or something like that.
“We saw last season that it was tough when the club struggled. People have been able to put that behind them and they’re excited, and it’s been that way through the whole season because we’ve been in the top seven, and even second at one point.
“We gave people something to be excited about, and we gave the same feelings to ourselves, and we’re now all in it together to try to see it through. We definitely can make it, but we won’t make it without the people in the stands being with us. That’s for sure.”
So will there be nerves leading up to kick off, and what would it mean for him to end the season on a high?
“I was actually nervous during the week before the last game,” he admitted. “I would think that probably Thursday and Friday I will be nervous, but I don’t think that’s always a bad thing.
“It’s part of the game, and I think on Saturday I’ll be full of excitement, probably more than on any other day. I think I’ll leave all of that nervousness outside during the warm up.
“I know that in the tunnel and leading up to kick off I’ll be fully focused, excited about what we’re going to do, and ready to win this game.
“Let’s be honest, I had to travel 1,500km to get involved in these games. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. This is actually why we love and why we play this game.
“It’s not just because we’re in the play-offs and fighting for League One, but because of the people, the occasion. If it goes our way it’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
“It’s something you’ll tell your kids and grandkids about. I can’t speak for anyone else, but that’s the reason I do this, for moments like this.
“It’s not even about bonuses or anything, I just want to see people celebrating after the game because we’ve done it. I really do just want to see people happy.
“The fans around Carlisle who love football have been talking about this with such excitement and it’s so positive and nice to see it and hear it. Hopefully we’ll get the job done.”
