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Ward:
Ward: "Carlisle Didn't Do Enough To Win"
Wednesday, 9th Apr 2008 06:58

Carlisle manager John Ward admits his side were second best to the excellent Swans on Tuesday night

Speaking to BBC Radio Cumbria he said " They'll have a claim because they've hit the bar, in the first-half the one was over the top and the second one, we've got a bit of luck, it's come down and hit Keiren (Westwood). I was thinking it was going to go in off him but we've managed to clear it. Apart from that though we've protected Keiren very well, you've seen why, I said before the game, this is the best team in the league and why they are top of the league. We've run them really close, even though we were at home we've had to dig in, particularly in the second-half they lifted the tempo of the game.

" That 20 minute period was a vital part of the game I think for us to stay with it. Without us perhaps creating too many opportunities in the second-half we're happy to take the point and have that extra point that we didn't have this morning, with the games level now with everybody. So all in all, there is a huge amount of excitement in the game, a big crowd and another great atmosphere. The Carlisle people and their team are very much together and look as if they are enjoying what is going on at the moment, and so they should.

" People will see it was 0-0 and think that it was nip and tuck, both teams have gone for the game and both teams tried to win it. We found it hard to get out of our half in the second-half in the early period, but we stuck hard at that. We've worked hard, we've had three home games on the trot, we've had three standing ovations off the supporters and we've only won one of the games.

" That tells you a lot about what they have seen on the pitch from their team. Even with a defeat against Forest and a draw against Swansea, they know we are fighting, I won't say above our weight, but we are fighting for everything that is going on here. The supporters respect that and the team obviously respect the response they get from the people who watch.

" Both (Scott Dobie and Andy Robinson) want to try to win the game I think, and somebody has got a bit upset somewhere, it's a passionate game isn't it. It's all part of what goes on in top games of football when people know there is a lot on it. There was nothing about it, it was a great game. "

" Both sides defended very, very well, we probably had a bit more of it to do than them. They are very sharp, they are very bright, they have got a big squad, they put on good players as substitutes. We're not quite at their level in terms of the size of our football club, but eleven v eleven on the pitch we can give them a game. I think we've more than done that tonight in terms of standing up to the best team in the league, we've shown that we can stand up to that.

" There are ways that you have to get your results and we've been exceptionally resilient tonight in the face of some good football from Swansea, particularly in that opening 20 minutes of the second period. In the first-half it was pretty even though, we had a couple of good chances to probably hit the keeper (Dorus de Vries) and work the keeper a little bit more than we did. Roberto (Martinez) will be saying the same I guess so I've got to accept that a draw is a good one for both of us.

" Interestingly enough, they think they've won the league now, they were saying that in the tunnel, one or two of their players. Quite interesting that because they haven't have they, it's a funny one, I think we still might have a little say in that, even though there are four to play. I'm not giving that up yet, we'll still chase them on. We've done that for the last few weeks, we've looked above us and now we know we have got a good team to chase, we've got four to play and we'll keep chasing them and see what we can do.

" When I see Swansea City players punching the air in the tunnel shouting that they have got a draw at our place then I think that shows we have come quite a long way. They are a big club with a big ground and a big support swell and everything like that, so that says more about us than them I think in terms of where we are at the moment.

" I'd still rather be where Swansea are, I keep telling you that, but as opposed to the other 22 clubs in the league I'll settle for where we are and see if we can do something at Leeds on Saturday. What a nice thing to say, we go to Leeds on Saturday and we'll try to give them a game.

" I'm satisfied with a point because I think that I'm a reasonably fair-minded person as well. I've watched the same game as you have and it would have been a bit harsh on Swansea if we'd won the game, so yes I'll settle for that. I pretty much said to myself at 85 minutes that I'll take a point now if you want to stop the game, but up until that point we were still trying to go on and do something about it. I see it as a point gained, it's a point more than we had at six o'clock tonight, and that's got to be a plus for us at this stage of the season, so yes, I'll take it thank you. "

Photo: Action Images



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