Abbott angry with cowering Carlisle

Nov 23 2009 The Journal

CARLISLE United produced what Greg Abbott described as the worst performance since he became manager against a Swindon Town side who had to do very little to take the three points on another wet day in Cumbria.

Robins’ manager Danny Wilson admitted: “Our man of the match has been the ground staff. They have pulled out all the stops to get this game on and it has worked in our favour.” The scene was set as early as the third minute when Charlie Austin swivelled with his back to goal and buried a low cross beneath the stunned Lenny Pidgeley.

“It was really poor defending,” explained Cumbrians boss Greg Abbott. “The most disappointing thing from the day was the lack of desire, and the way we conceded that goal sums up the way we approached the whole game.”

Joe Anyinsah had the best of a meagre crop of half chances for the home side but he hurried his 10th minute effort and stabbed it wide of the target when it looked easier to score.

With the rain descending the afternoon became even more miserable as pass after pass went astray and the visitors looked ever more comfortable with their lead.

“How do we begin to explain the fact that we didn’t tackle, we didn’t press and we didn’t challenge for anything?” Abbott said.

“We didn’t do the things that come for free in this game. We didn’t do the basics of football and if you don’t compete then you get nothing at all.”

The catalogue of misplaced passes and wasted crossing opportunities reached alarming proportions for the home side and even the brief impetus provided by the introduction of substitute Scott Dobie did little to lighten the overall mood. As Swindon sat deep and protected their lead throughout a dour second half, and with Carlisle struggling to make any kind of inroads at all, the discontent from the terraces turned towards the dugout.

“Nobody likes criticism and I am no different,” the under-fire manager admitted. “I don’t like to hear that from the crowd but you accept it, you understand it and you get on with it. Danny [Wilson] said some really nice things to me at the end of the game and I will be brave, because I have to be brave. We have to pick ourselves up off the floor, because that is where we are at right now.

“I will always take criticism when it is deserved, and today the whole group deserves the criticism that it will undoubtedly get.

“We have to be better on Tuesday night against MK Dons because this level of performance is unacceptable. We are talking about careers here – for me, for the players and for all of the playing staff.

“We have brought a complete halt to the progress that was being made and we have got to get ourselves back on track immediately.”

Former Hartlepool winger Matt Robson said: “It’s hard to explain performances like this, because we have been playing well recently, so all we can do is make sure that we put it right quickly.”

CARLISLE: Pidgeley, Keogh (Kane 46), Livesey, Harte, Horwood, Anyinsah, Taiwo (Dobie 46), Clayton, Robson, Kavanagh, Pericard (Offiong 86). Subs (not used): Collin, Murphy, Burns, Hurst.

SWINDON: Lucas, Amankwaah, Greer, Cuthbert, Jean-Francois, McGovern, Douglas, Ferry, McNamee (Timlin 86), Paynter, Austin (Revell 68). Subs (not used): Smith, Easton, Hutchinson, Kennedy, Peacock.

Goal: Austin 3.

Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear) Attendance: 4,339