Following Carlisle United's 2-1 win at Southend United to remain top of the Enterprise National League, we spoke to Head Coach Mark Hughes.
Speaking to CUTV, he discussed a heroic defensive display, attacking prowess, and a statement victory.
Here is everything we learnt:
A strong first-half showing
“I’m really pleased with the level that we hit tonight. It’s a difficult place to come, big crowd, home supporters obviously were getting behind their side and trying to drive them on, but I thought in that first half we got a real good lead and were in a strong position.
“We had a bit of disruption with the substitution; we hadn’t quite got our structure right, and they were able to get a goal back. At 2-1, you know it’s going to be difficult; you have to do the uncomfortable stuff really well under those circumstances, but I thought our shape, resilience and ability to release players ahead of the ball were really good.”
Defending the danger and staying composed
“It’s their game, get it wide, set balls back and put shells into your box, and we had to defend that, which we did. Going the other way, we were always a threat and had the clearest chances; it could have been more comprehensive than it actually was.
“To come here, with a late kick-off, knowing all the teams around us had already won, there was a bit of pressure coming into it. We wanted to end the day top of the league – and that’s where we are.”
Clinical quality in attack
“Two great goals. We know the two lads have that ability. Cricky (Chris-Conn-Clarke) was unlucky right at the end; it could have been 3-1 at half-time, and that wouldn’t have embarrassed us.
“Second half, they were always going to have a go. They overcommitted a bit towards the end as you’d expect, but we stood our ground and saw the game out well.”
Improved control and maturity
“We mentioned that, quieten the crowd, get an early goal. That element of our play has improved recently; our game management and ability to see games through has really come on.
“We know what we have to do. Keep our shape, stay disciplined out of possession, and trust that we’ll create chances in possession. If we get both elements right, we’re difficult to overcome.”
Chris Conn-Clarke enjoying his football
‘He’s got respect for the lads who release him in good areas, and he pays them back with fantastic goals. We’re delighted with how it’s turning out, for him and for us.”
“He’s got that awareness of where everybody is on the pitch. Once he manipulates the ball and retains possession in tight areas, he can release people because he’s got that vision. Not many players have that at this level, and that’s why he creates and scores the way he does.”
Regan Linney’s composure in front of goal
“Every time Regan (Linney) gets in that position, you just feel like he’s going to score. It’s a consequence of the way he’s playing and the confidence he’s showing.
He creates a lot himself, but he also benefits from the work of others to get him into those areas. The key was to remain top of the league and that’s what we’ve done.”
Coping with disruption
“We were doing a bit of reorganisation when they scored. We had to take Junior (Luamba) off, made a change, and just needed a bit of time to settle.
"During that period, they got their goal, but we regrouped, and after that, we were fine. You expect pressure when teams throw players forward, but we dealt with it comfortably.”
Strong mentality across the pitch
“We kept our shape and did our jobs.
“I don’t think we were hanging on at any stage. They threw shells into the box, and we defended it. Mentally, we were really strong tonight.”
Making a statement at the top
“It’s a big statement to come and win here. We didn’t equip ourselves too well earlier in the season against a few of the top sides, but since then, we’ve gone up against teams in the top ten and, for the most part, been the better side.
“We’re still a new group, still learning, but if we keep everyone fit and well, we’ll continue to grow.”
Another big effort from the group
“There have been big results around us, so this was a really tough fixture. The lads deserve all the credit.
“They’ve put a huge effort in through a long run of travel and games – every one of them has put a real shift in.”
Reward for the travelling support
“It takes forever to get here, but once you’re here, you want to give the supporters something back. They were brilliant all night, and it was really special to celebrate with them at the end.”
Watch the full interview on CUTV HERE!
