Carlisle seeking to atone for upset
Nov 23 2010 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
GRAHAM Kavanagh has urged promotion-chasing Carlisle to return to the values that have thrust them into the thick of the League One play-off mix.
A pair of Matt Richards free-kicks sent the Cumbrians tumbling to a surprising defeat at rock-bottom Walsall on Saturday – bringing a run of four straight wins to a shuddering halt.
The Carlisle assistant boss admitted their performance was not acceptable but with the visit of Rochdale to Brunton Park tonight, he knows they have an instant chance to atone if they get back to basics.
“The Walsall defeat was disappointing. We have been playing so well and it was a real opportunity for us to move into the top six but to be honest we didn’t play particularly well,” he said.
“It was a blow for us but the good thing is that we have a chance to get back to where we want to be straight away against Rochdale tonight. In that respect the game couldn’t really have come at a better time for us.
“It will be a tough game though – Rochdale are built in the image of the two guys in charge there (Keith Hill and assistant Dave Flitcroft), they’re hard-working and they don’t give you an inch. That is a credit to them and they’ve had some great results since they’ve come into the division.
“But with respect to Rochdale, throughout the course of the season we’ve consistently said that what we have to concentrate on is ourselves. We know that if we play to our potential we can compete with anyone in the league and that is what we have to do now.
“If you look at our squad we have players with the ability to entertain and cause opposition teams problems.
