Following Carlisle United’s 1-0 victory away at Truro City, we spoke to Head Coach Mark Hughes after his side secured third place.
Speaking to CUTV, he reflected on a professional performance, defensive resilience and the reward of a home play-off semi-final.
Here is everything we learnt:
1. Job done in Cornwall
“We’re obviously pleased. We’ve confirmed our position in third place, which has benefits for us moving forward, so it was important we got the job done.”
2. A tough test
“It’s not easy to come here. Not many teams have scored more than two against them, and even sides like Boreham Wood and Forest Green have struggled, so we knew what we were facing.”
3. Professional performance
“It wasn’t particularly pretty, but when you’re involved in games like that, you’ve just got to make sure you win, and that’s what we did.”
4. Mission accomplished early
“That was the order of the day: to come here and get it wrapped up. I thought we were very comfortable in the first half and controlled the game well.”
5. Second-half resilience
“In the second half, we had to defend a lot of balls coming into the box; it got a bit bitty, but we still had chances to win the game more comfortably.”
6. Another big moment from Regan Linney
“Once again, Regan’s come up with a great goal and taken the game away from them. You want to get him in those positions, and he’s delivered.”
7. Dealing with the challenge
“We knew exactly what type of game it would be. With the conditions and their style, it was about being professional and not underestimating them.”
8. Defensive discipline key
“With the number of long throws and balls into the box, it’s like defending constant corners. The lads stood up to it really well.”
9. Minutes into returning players
“It was good to get Josh (Williams) some minutes and get (Luke Armstrong) back out there as well. We’re just trying to get everyone up to speed for what’s ahead.”
10. Incredible travelling support
“The support was unbelievable. We wanted to show our appreciation at the end, it’s not about celebrating early, just thanking them for everything they’ve given us.”
