Carlisle boss Paul Simpson admitted his side never gave themselves a chance of climbing off the foot of Sky Bet League One as they crashed 2-0 at Wigan.

Roared on by a travelling support of more than 4,000, the Cumbrians were fortunate to see Wigan’s Liam Morrison hit a post inside two minutes.

And the night did not get any easier when Josh Emmanuel tripped Stephen Humphrys inside the box in the 16th minute, with Wigan captain Josh Magennis converting from the spot.

Morrison then took advantage of more bad marking to double Wigan’s lead in the 36th minute, with the visitors happy to get to the break only two down.

They at least gave it a go in the second half, with a couple of superb deliveries from Jack Robinson causing anxiety in the Wigan backline.

But Carlisle’s night was summed up when former Latics striker Joe Garner sent a free header wide from six yards to deny his side even a consolation.

“It would have been easy to have gone under at half-time the way we were,” said Simpson.

“And you certainly can’t come to places like Wigan, with the quality of forward players they have, and give them the start we did.

“I thought we made some really poor decisions in the first 25 minutes, in terms of in the final third, when we could have been getting shots off.

“And it’s a rash challenge from Josh to bring down their lad for their penalty, he doesn’t need to do it, he doesn’t need to bring him down.

“In the second half we gave it a go, we had chances, but it’s the story of our season.

“But you don’t need to be a coach, let alone a genius, to know we’ve not got enough in the final third, it’s as simple as that.

“We’ve had opportunities, when we maybe needed that little bit of luck with, with one or two deflections.

“But we have to be finishing some of those chances, because there were some really good balls going into the box.

“If we want to give ourselves any chance, we have to be finishing those off, and that’s why we desperately need strikers.

“It’s fine margins at both ends but, when you’re up against good players, you have to make them count.

“And that’s where the massive disappointment comes from.”

Wigan manager Shaun Maloney welcomed the three points after overseeing three defeats from three over Christmas.

“I loved how we played in the first half, I really, really did,” said Maloney.

“The players were very brave, and then we had to show a different side in the second half.

“We had to dig in, Carlisle went super aggressive in terms of trying to keep the ball off us, and we had to show another way of playing.

“Tonight was such an important game for us. We were obviously desperate to win the game.

“But I was also wanting to see a performance that showed we were really wanting to play.

“We wanted to play our way out from the back, and play at the other end of the field.

“And I thought the first half was everything we wanted, 2-0 at half-time was more than a fair scoreline.”

Paul Simpson insisted there was plenty of time for Carlisle to stave off the threat of relegation following the 1-1 draw at Fleetwood.

The Cumbrians led through Owen Moxon’s goal after 27 minutes but were pegged back eight minutes later by a Jayden Stockley strike.

And while the point did not prevent Simpson’s side from slipping to the bottom of the table, he will not be pushing the panic button.

“It’s not pleasant,” he said.

“We’re in a tough position at the moment and we’ve dropped to the bottom of the league today, which nobody wants to see.

“Thankfully we’ve got lots of games to try to turn it around, we’ve got the January transfer window to try to strengthen the group and hopefully we’ll be able to do that.

“We’ve got to improve the squad and we’ve got to improve our consistency when we’re making opportunities.

“We were massively improved from the last game, without a doubt.

“I think we probably deserved more than just one point out of the game today as well so that’s a bit of a disappointment, but I’m really satisfied with the way that the players have gone about it, particularly a young starting XI.

“They gave us energy, they had a real desire about them, it’s just a pity we didn’t manage to finish off those chances we had.

“It’s a huge improvement after the last game. I thought we passed the ball quite well on what was a tricky surface, but at least it was a nice calm day today.

“We worked and competed well, we did all of the things that we would want to do, we got ourselves in the lead and I’m disappointed with the goal we conceded, we could have worked harder to stop it coming in.”

Fleetwood also slipped a place to sit second from bottom and manager Lee Johnson also feels their fortunes should improve when they welcome back some of their walking wounded.

“The boys are working hard,” he said.

“The last game at Portsmouth was a sapping game in terms of the energy levels, I thought it was a low-quality game today, if I’m honest.

“We let them off the hook far too many times when we had set-play opportunities, when we got into wide areas we demanded more from our wide men and a little bit changed.

“We have to be honest and say we lacked quality at times but we’re asking the same set of lads to churn it out at the moment when we’ve got so many injured.

“We’re hobbling into January but it’s important that we quickly refresh again.

“We just need more players to turn up, we need more to get back to their top form, some are nursing little niggles but they will have to keep getting out there because it’s all we’ve got.

“It’s going to be a really big January for us, I have a points target in my head, I’ll keep that to myself but it’s achievable.

“It’s going to be tight. In the next few weeks we’re going to have to nurse players back to health. I feel like in five or six weeks we could be in a good spot.”

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson admitted to a “strange old mix of emotions” after his side’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Northampton.

Goals from Jack Armer and Ryan Edmondson, who scored his first of the season, looked to have set the Cumbrians on their way to a first league win for almost two months following Shaun McWilliams’ opener for the visitors.

But Kieron Bowie’s dramatic 93rd-minute strike salvaged a point for the Cobblers.

“It’s a strange old mix of emotions,” said Simpson, who was buoyed by his side’s performance.

“I’ve got to say to start it’s a massive improvement from the last few weeks.

“I’m really disappointed, I’m gutted about the goal and I’ve got to say the equaliser was a fantastic finish from Bowie.

“But I’m so pleased with the performance and the character and the effort. All of the things you can talk about.

“That’s certainly given everybody a lift and something to build on.

“There were lots of good things. I thought a lot of players were excellent. There were so many good things.

“We probably did deserve three points, I’m biased and they might now say that.

“It gives me hope and belief that if we play and compete like that then we should be okay. We have to do that consistently.

“The first goal was a horrible goal to give away and it shouldn’t happen.

“We’re really struggling to score that first goal, unfortunately when you’re on the run we’re on you get little things like that happening.”

Jon Brady’s Northampton have lost just once in their last six league outings.

He also praised his side’s spirit, saying: “It was great character from the boys to get a point.

“We made a couple of changes towards the death and Kieron pops up with the equaliser.

“Overall we showed great character and great spirit to get 2-2. It’s a tough place to come.

“You’ve got to give credit to them. They’re fighting for their lives and fighting for their manager.

“You can see they’ve got immense spirit in their squad.

“They had two changes and scored in the second half. I haven’t seen it back, but I can’t remember any other efforts for them.

“To get a point here at a really tough place to come, when you consider how the game went, it’s a good point.

“In the main you’ve got to say these boys have been really consistent. You can have days where you might lose and, if you can get a draw out of it, it’s a real positive about a team that never gives in.

“They’re the types of days that lift the team and galvanise them.”

Neil Critchley is desperate for Jordan Rhodes to stay at Blackpool after the veteran striker bagged two goals in their 3-0 win against Carlisle.

Rhodes signed on a season-long loan from Huddersfield last summer but the Terriers have the option to recall him next month.

Rhodes is bang in form and took his season’s tally to 13 on Saturday, while Huddersfield need all the help they can get in their battle against relegation from the Championship.

No decision has been taken but manager Critchley is determined to make the most of the 33-year-old and has urged his young forwards to learn all they can after he scored twice in the second half.

“I felt we were comfortable and the second goal was a real bit of quality from Jordan. That settled us down and we were comfortable,” said Critchley.

“We watch Jordan and try and learn from him and he’s a good example to our strikers who have not had his career. They should be aspiring to achieve what he’s done.

“His positioning inside the penalty box and his patience, his movement, cleverness and ability to finish off both feet or his head is outstanding. We’re delighted he’s here and we really want that to continue for the year.”

The Seasiders went ahead through Andy Lyons, who chipped Tomas Holy after the Carlisle goalkeeper fumbled a cross.

Blackpool dominated and deservedly added a second when Rhodes reacted quickest to a rebound in the box.

The Scottish striker then took his tally to 13 for the season with a clinical finish late on.

“It was a good finish from Andy Lyons and good cross for the second goal, it was a good all-round team performance,” Critchley added.

“When teams come here and want to frustrate you, it becomes doubly difficult. The first goal can be crucial, and we got it.”

Carlisle were toothless as they succumbed to their 11th league defeat of the season.

Alfie McDermott and Jordan Gibson had their best chances but they were comfortably outplayed and manager Paul Simpson admits they do not have the quality required at this level.

“There was a difference there,” he said.

“I’m really disappointed with our performance, but it’s not through a lack of effort. It’s through a lack of quality – that’s my opinion on it.

“We’ve been poor on the ball today, poor in our decision-making, but I think they’ve tried to do the right things. That’s the base we should expect.

“We’re short. We have to get through to January and it’s as simple as that.

“Everybody has to react in the right way and we’ve got two home games coming up that we have to do properly.”

Fairyhouse and Carlisle have been given the green light to race this afternoon, but the meetings at Leicester and Southwell have been lost to the cold weather.

Day two of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival, which features a trio of Grade One contests, has survived the threat of frost and a dense fog.

Clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan said: “The fog has lifted, even a little earlier than Met Eireann said it would, which is great.

“You can see the full length of the straight here now and you can also see right around Ballyhack.

“As you know, fog is a bit tricky and it can come and go, but at this point in time, we don’t envisage any more problems.

“We’re in a good place now and we’re all good to go.”

Sheridan had earlier reported on the IHRB Twitter site: “Thankfully, the frost didn’t set in overnight.

“The ground on both tracks is soft. We’ve a completely fresh hurdles and bumper track and we’ve seven or eight yards of fresh ground on the chase track.”

Parts of Cumbria were hit by heavy snowfall overnight but Carlisle passed an early-morning inspection, although racegoers have been warned to be careful on the surrounding roads.

Reading manager Ruben Selles admitted his side could still do better after their 5-1 thrashing of Carlisle lifted them off the bottom of League One.

An own goal from Carlisle skipper Sam Lavelle had given Reading the lead and although Luke Plange quickly levelled, a double from Harvey Knibbs gave the hosts a healthy 3-1 lead at the break.

Carlisle improved in the second half but fine finishes from Lewis Wing and Femi Azeez late on sealed Reading’s second league win in succession.

“The result was good and to score that amount of goals is always difficult in football matches,” Selles said.

“But I still think that we can do better. I still think that the worst part of our games is that, after we score the first goal, then we need to control things more.

“Yet we are in a much better position than we were a month ago. Those moments in which we have conceded, we didn’t do that today or last weekend [in the 2-1 win at Wycombe].

“As a collective, the team looks like we are all learning to manage those moments. We have the potential to score goals and compete against any team in League One.

“In the end, it was a pleasure to have a calm last part of the game.

“We knew that when the other team was trying to chase, we knew that we would be able to find the spaces to counter-attack.”

Carlisle are now without a win in four league games.

“My impression from watching back the first-half goals, we just haven’t done the real basic things properly,” manager Paul Simpson said.

“We were trying to be clever in midfield instead of just turning Reading around.

“We were not clearing our lines, we were missing tackles, we were not communicating.

“I don’t think that you need to be a really good footballer to do all those things better than we did tonight. And we just got punished for it.

“I thought that we started the game brightly. It looked as though it was a game in which we had an opportunity to get something out of. But we allowed it to run away from us.

“I thought that we started the second half brightly as well. To be fair, though, their fourth goal [by Wing] was a really good strike.

“But their fifth goal was really simple. A straight run down the middle and we allowed it to happen.

“So it all ends up being a massive disappointment for us. But we’ve just got to move on.

“Defensively, in the first half, it worried me. Without a doubt. There was just too many simple mistakes, you just can’t do those things.”

Carlisle’s new owners watched on as their team drew 1-1 at home against Charlton.

Castle Sports Group representatives were able to celebrate as Sam Lavelle hauled the hosts level eight minutes after Corey Blackett-Taylor fired the Addicks ahead.

Jordan Gibson went close for Carlisle early on when his shot was smartly saved by Ashley Maynard-Brewer.

The Addicks replied with Scott Fraser forcing home keeper Tomas Holy into an equally impressive stop, before the hosts’ Owen Moxon then fired over after he had met a tidy pass from Gibson.

Carlisle were saved by the woodwork in the 38th minute.

Lloyd Jones played in Blackett-Taylor, but his powerful drive thumped the crossbar.

The Addicks dominated the opening stages of the second period, and they got their reward after 54 minutes when Blackett-Taylor poked home as he darted in to convert Tennai Watson’s low cross.

Blackett-Taylor was denied a second thanks to Holy’s superb save and Carlisle levelled just past the hour-mark when Lavelle drilled home clinically following Jack Armer’s lay-off.

Bristol Rovers caretaker manager Andy Mangan was full of praise for his 10-man side’s desire after earning a hard-fought 1-0 win at Carlisle.

Sam Lavelle’s own goal before half-time proved to be the difference as Rovers, who extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches, rose to 10th place in the League One table and United dropped to 22nd.

The Pirates went a man down in the 73rd minute as Tristan Crama pulled back Terry Ablade to deny a clear goalscoring opportunity, but they held on for victory.

“I’m delighted for them to be honest,” said Mangan, who has overseen three wins and a draw since taking interim charge following the sacking of Joey Barton.

“Their endeavour, their hard work, their desire to see that through after the sending-off is amazing. The lads deserve all the credit that they can get.”

The winning goal came in the 38th minute, when the returning Jack Hunt’s cross took a wicked deflection off opposition defender Lavelle and looped into the net.

Mangan said a change of shape played a key part in securing all three points.

“I just felt we could hurt them in wide areas,” he added.

“I think in the first 20 minutes you saw some really decent chances for us on the counter, when we hit them on the break.

“Jack Hunt was getting crosses in wide. Harvey Vale was then landing on them because they play a four. So the change of shape actually helped us.

“I thought we were a little bit more dangerous on the counter-attack and also, because they’re a little bit direct, what we could do was catch their long balls and then pick up a few more balls in the middle of the park with the three in the middle. It went to plan, thankfully, in the end.”

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson described the decisive goal as a “horrible” one to give away, but was keen to avoid blaming the result entirely on bad luck.

“It’s those fine margins that we keep falling on the wrong side of,” he said.

“There’s other things that we need to concern ourselves with, rather than just that.

“It’d be wrong to just look at that and say we were unlucky because you have to make your own luck.

“We’ve had 23 crosses into the box, we’ve had 10 corners, we’ve had six free-kicks, we’ve had five long throw-ins. We haven’t got on the end of enough of them. We haven’t troubled their goalkeeper.

“And, the big thing for me, we have to get to a mental state where we’ve got a desire to go and score goals and to get on the end of things.

“They’ve had some decent bits of football – I’ll give them that – and they’ve got some good footballers in there, but they haven’t troubled us a hell of a lot in terms of our goal.”

Richie Wellens hailed striker Aaron Drinan after Leyton Orient beat Carlisle 3-1 to book their place in the second round of the FA Cup.

A Joe Pigott penalty put Orient ahead before the visitors lost Callum Guy with a serious-looking leg injury in the first half.

Joe Garner equalised before goals by Orient substitutes Drinan and Ruel Sotiriou ensured the Londoners victory.

“I was pleased for Aaron Drinan that he got his goal, he has had an interrupted pre-season for two seasons on the bounce and when he’s fit and firing, he’s got pace and power and is a good finisher,” Orient boss Wellens said.

“But please, I request our supporters, if you want a fit and firing Aaron Drinan or any of our players, give them confidence. It doesn’t matter what level you play at, if you’ve got confidence, you are going to be a lot better.

“I thought that we started the first 20 minutes really well and then the last 15 or 20 minutes of the first half nothing really happened. Their shape then caused us a problem because I thought Carlisle were good for the first 20 minutes of the second half.

“When we changed to a four, I thought we were pretty dominant in the last 25 minutes and could have scored a few more.

“It was an important game for us both financially and because we wanted to get to the next round, so yes, it was a good day. We want to reach the third round at least and hopefully give the board of directors some money back.

“In the six years (since) the owners took over the club, I don’t think they have had a cup run.”

United boss Paul Simpson admitted his side needed to defend better.

“Again we didn’t work hard enough to stop the cross, similar to Cambridge last week, and it’s defending the goals which gave us a problem,” he said.

“We have to defend much better and need to address it very, very quickly.

“It’s a massively disappointing result for us. First half I thought the penalty was a little fortunate but I felt we needed to change it at half-time and we started the second half much brighter and much more positive. We started passing the ball better and got ourselves level with a really good goal.

“I thought we had Orient at one point but we have to say they thoroughly deserved to go through. They are a good footballing side but we have to do the horrible jobs you need to do in football on a consistent basis. If you don’t, you get punished.”

On the injury to Guy, Simpson said: “We’ve heard that it’s not a fracture but it’s not good news at all. We will get it scanned.”

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson rued that there was “nobody else to blame but ourselves” following his side’s 1-0 defeat at the Abbey Stadium.

The Cumbrians produced a disappointing performance to lose to a Cambridge side that were on an eight-game winless run in League One.

Sub George Thomas headed the winning goal for the Us, before Simpson’s side ended the match with nine men following the late dismissals of Jack Armer and Alfie McCalmont.

“Let’s not look at blaming anybody else, it’s our own fault,” he continued. “If you don’t do the basics well then you don’t get anything out of the game, and unfortunately we didn’t.

“The biggest disappointment is, after a really good week of two really good performances against Portsmouth and on Tuesday night, today we’ve been way off it. We’ve turned over possession so many times, we haven’t won our duels enough.

“Jack Armer’s sending-off,  it’s a lazy challenge to get that second yellow card. Alfie, I feel for him a little bit. I have to say it probably is a red card because of the way his foot has come up, but he has no idea the lad is there. He didn’t do it intentionally.

“I accept that we can’t play brilliantly every game but you have to get a consistent level of doing the basics right, and that’s where we’ve let ourselves down. I do think we have let ourselves down today because I felt this was a missed opportunity.”

Mark Bonner felt Cambridge deserved the three points as they recorded their first victory since September 4.

It came after Tuesday’s draw with leaders Portsmouth, following defeat at previously winless Cheltenham last weekend.

“We needed a week like we’ve had this week, we needed a result like that today,” said Bonner.

“Their best chance was probably in the first minute. We got countered too easily and too often in the first half – they caught us out a few times.

“The wide play was miles better in the second half, and we threatened the back of them much better.

“In the second half I thought we had complete control of the game, were really dominant in their half and deserved the goal when it came.

“The end of the game was a bit weird, really, because it felt like it went on forever and we sort of forgot we were playing against nine players. There was more space than there needed to be.

“We looked edgy towards the end but in the end I thought it was really controlled and fairly dominant. Other than the first minute we weren’t under huge threat.

“We’ve built two good performances this week and four good points.”

A member of the ground staff at Carlisle avoided serious injury in a nasty incident at the start of the seventh race on Thursday.

The man jogged across in front of the tape, but was still in the process of leaving the track when the tapes went up and was immediately knocked over as the runners set off, sent tumbling across the ground as the field galloped on.

A report from the stewards read: “An inquiry was held to consider the circumstances as to why a member of the ground staff had crossed the track at the start as the race was started resulting in his being knocked over by Euchan Falls.

“The clerk of the course, the member of ground staff, the starters and Gavin Sheehan, the rider of Euchan Falls, unplaced, were interviewed.

“Having heard their evidence and having reviewed video recording of the incident, the matter was forwarded to the head office of the British Horseracing Authority for further consideration.”

On a dramatic afternoon of National Hunt action, jockey Daire Davis was banned for 21 days at Ludlow for improper riding.

Daire was leading on Faha Belle in the fifth race of the day, but in moving right-handed – and about to take the wrong course – he clipped heels with Von Hallers who unseated David Bass. Daire corrected his mount to take the correct course, but in doing so ran into a group of other runners with his mount falling having gone through the rail.

Daire himself crashed into the Tom Bellamy-ridden Kit’s Coty, leading to Bellamy unseating.

Jordan Gibson scored a first career hat-trick but manager Paul Simpson says Carlisle’s match-winner should have finished with four goals against Bolton.

Gibson, who had never previously netted even a senior double, fired a 44th-minute equalising penalty after Jon Mellish’s own goal put the Trotters in front.

He added further goals in the 70th and 95th minutes as the Cumbrians secured a 3-1 Sky Bet League One victory.

The visitors also missed a first-half penalty through Joe Garner after Kyle Dempsey’s foul on Sean Maguire, and Simpson revealed: “We had talked for weeks that Jordan Gibson is on penalties.

“But we didn’t talk before the game because I automatically thought Gibbo was on them.

“He got the ball but the next time I looked Joe was on it. I will never criticise players for missing pens but stick with what the plan is. Fortunately, we got away with it.

“We have spoken for weeks about penalties we have not been getting but we got two today.

“We have said Jordan should be getting more goals. So, what an achievement to come to a place like Bolton and score a hat-trick.

“It was an outstanding performance. I am delighted we scored three goals, I am delighted with the football we played but that was built on a solid, team performance.

“It showed discipline to go and do the horrible side of the game, to chase and to tackle. We have had games with bits of that performance but that result we have been waiting for, especially with so many fans backing us.”

Bolton, chasing a third successive league win, faded badly after the boost of Mellish’s own goal.

“We looked devoid of energy, devoid of ideas second half, we looked flat and we looked leggy,” admitted Wanderers boss Ian Evatt.

“We lacked zest and energy and those are the foundations everything else is built from.

“This was probably one game too far with the lack of options to rotate and freshen up.

“There were too many players under par. We get ahead but the two penalties were an absolute joke.

“I am sure neither were penalties but we had chances which we didn’t take.

“We huffed and we puffed but their second goal goes in via a deflection and then we make a crazy decision at the end with Nathan (Baxter) going up with still four minutes left.

“That said, Nathan was outstanding in the game. This international break has come at the right time.”

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson described Jokull Andresson’s red card “amateurish” after the goalkeeper’s mistake led to a 2-0 defeat at Wycombe.

Believing he was alone in the penalty area after a routine save, Andresson dropped the ball to his feet but was immediately dispossessed by Wycombe striker Sam Vokes, lurking behind him.

Andresson brought Vokes down and also handled the ball outside the box, leaving referee Scott Tallis with an easy decision to show him red in the 29th minute.

Luke Leahy’s penalty, after Gareth McCleary was taken down just before half-time, and Vokes’ well-taken strike saw Wycombe prevail and left Simpson furious at full-time.

He said: “I think we brought this [the loss] on ourselves. We can’t blame anyone else. It’s about us. The sending off is just amateurish. Just absolutely amateurish, I’m afraid.

“The referee has obviously seen the situation and felt he’s needed to send him off.

“You then look at the penalty decision and our player got the ball but, by the letter of the law, he’s gone through the back of him and there’s nothing he can really do about it.

“We’ve gifted them situations. If we’re more professional, those things don’t happen, we don’t give them those opportunities.

“I think in the first half we were really poor. Forget those incidents, we were poor in not being front-footed and I think we needed to be aggressive in the way we defended but we weren’t.

“I got to say, though, in the second half, the attitude was absolutely first class. We probably should have got ourselves back into it with the opportunities we had.”

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield was pleased with his team’s performance and praised their maturity in facing 10 men for most of the game.

“Any win brings a really pleasing afternoon.

“This is a tough league, we’ve already seen that this season, and we knew the continuity they kept from their team last season and the way they’re built would make it difficult for us.

“I was pleased with the variety we showed in our display, especially against 11.

“Obviously, the game is going to change against 10. But we were really good, even if there were elements to improve.

“It’s one of football cliches that it’s never easy against 10 men. [In the second half], they reorganised and showed a real attacking intent.

“Fair play to Carlisle, they could have made our day uncomfortable, but we worked hard to get the win. We stuck to our task and it’s just a shame we couldn’t take more of our chances.”

Paul Warne was delighted for striker James Collins after he scored his 200th goal in club football during Derby’s 2-0 win over Carlisle.

The Republic of Ireland international’s brilliant brace secured the Rams their first win at Carlisle since 1957.

Collins’ milestone came with a fine instinctive first-half finish before the 32-year-old wrapped up the points at Brunton Park with an emphatic late penalty.

Warne, who has a quartet of strikers to keep happy at Pride Park, said: “We always try and pick a team to win and I thought the team would win with Collo in it.

“Starting him paid off. He was really good. He led the line really well.

“You need a physical presence up there when other players aren’t having their best game, and I thought Collo was the standout.

“I’m really pleased for him. He lives right, trains right. He’s the best version of himself. I’d have loved him 10 years ago!

“He’s a great guy and the lads love him in the dressing room so they’re really pleased he’s got a brace. It’s a nice day for him.

“Every player thinks they should play every minute of every game.

“It’s not easy, I have to have disappointing conversations and disappoint people, but that’s my job.

“I’m pretty pleased. I didn’t think we were amazing, but this is League One. You come away and you have to be resilient.

“We’ve felt sorry for ourselves in recent weeks. Great teams dig in when they need to and I think we defended well.”

Carlisle had their chances and on another day could have got something out of the game.

Jordan Gibson’s strike slipped through Joe Wildsmith’s fingers but only hit the crossbar before Luke Plange’s effort came back off a post.

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson said: “You look at the players they’re bringing on and they’re really effective players.

“I always felt we looked like we’d get something out of it and the disappointing thing is that we didn’t show that in the second half.

“What we have to do is take that belief from what we did in the first half and get the momentum back from the last three games and that first half.

“We didn’t do enough second half and didn’t build on that momentum we had in the first half.

“They showed their experience, their nous and in the end it was a fairly comfortable second half for them.

“I was disappointed. I thought we were in it first half and deserved to be level at half-time.

“We created opportunities and caused them problems. We didn’t have that little bit of luck with Jordan Gibson’s shot and Luke Plange’s shot against the post.”

Steve Evans hit out at the “shambolic” defending which cost Stevenage victory in their 2-2 draw with Carlisle.

Jamie Reid’s double looked set to give Boro three points, but Joe Garner’s last-gasp header rescued a point for the Cumbrians, for whom goalkeeper Jokull Andresson was in inspired form.

The result was enough to take Evans’ newly-promoted side a point clear at the summit, albeit having played a game more than the majority of the division, but the Boro boss was not in the mood to revel in the lofty position.

“I’ve got no interest in being top of League One,” he said. “We played really well, but we’ve given away two of the worst goals a team can concede and a team deserving of nothing get a share of the spoils.

“That dressing room is flat and they will stay flat because we need to learn. Individuals have to take responsibility when we praise them and also when we criticise because it’s two shambolic bits of defending.”

Reid gave the hosts the a 15th-minute lead, firing home after Carl Piergianni flicked on Dan Butler’s free-kick.

Parity was restored four minutes later when Sean Maguire tucked the ball home via a deflection and in the aftermath, Stevenage assistant Paul Raynor was booked for dissent.

Andresson produced fine saves from Jordan Roberts, Charlie McNeill and Reid before the break and the first chance of the second half saw Piergianni hit the bar.

Reid doubled his tally with 16 minutes to go before being denied a hat-trick by the Icelandic goalkeeper, whose saves proved vital as Garner struck at the death.

“Jamie Reid will take the plaudits because he’s scored two, but he could have had five or six,” Evans said. “That’s not the standards you need at this level to win the game.

“There will be no plaudits from me about being top of the league when people around us have games in hand, that means nothing to me that nonsense.”

Carlisle came up alongside Stevenage in League Two last season and United boss Paul Simpson hailed goalkeeper Andresson for his part in earning his side a hard-fought point.

“Jokull is outstanding,” he said. “He’s made some excellent saves and that’s why we’ve brought him in because he’s a shot-stopper.

“He hasn’t got the height of Tomas Holy and his kicking might not be as good, but the players have got confidence in him.

“When he makes saves like that, they have more confidence in him and you need to be confident in your goalkeeper.

“It’s important to have a group who are ready and prepared to do the ugly stuff. I think if we do the ugly stuff throughout the game, then we could be taking away three points.”