"I WAS THERE"

NOT GOOD ENOUGH BLASTS ATKINS

The distant tinkle of alarm bells has risen in a few short weeks to a crescendo to deafen even the hardest of hearing amongst the Cumbrian faithful.
This seventh successive defeat leaves Carlisle looking at their worst run since the mid eighties and the spectre of non league football looming large again.
Former chairman Michael Knighton is looking to sell the club but his valuation is frightening prospective buyers away. The situation leaves Ian Atkins with the impossible task of moulding a squad of monthly contract players into a viable third division outfit. His frustration came pouring out after the game. He said: "As a manger you try to organise and discipline the players as much as you can, but the you have got to look at the desire of certain players, and that has got to come from within. It's now plainly obvious that we are not good enough. It's not an easy situation but we are going to get sucked into another relegation battle and we've been lucky in the last two years to get away with it. We won't get away with it a third time. Some of the players are not capable of giving me a little bit more and that means I need to replace very quickly. The Board knows what I want but I knew the situation when I came here so there is no point in moaning, I've just got to get on with it."
The home side faced an uphill battle from the first minute when Bees debutante Stuart Niven took advantage of a weak Carlisle clearance to half volley passed Luke Weaver.
As in recent matches the Cumbrians saw plenty of the play, getting plenty of balls into the box but failed to show that vital killer instinct to turn chances into goals.
This was typified by Scott Dobie and John Ingles both heading straight at Bees keeper Dan Naisbitt when in good positions in the 16th and 35th minutes.
On 39 minutes the Bees almost extended their lead when a Tony Richards header, from a Darren Currie cross, went narrowly wide.
On the stroke of half time Carl Heggs should have equalised but blasted his shot over the bar.
Four minutes into the second half Ian Stevens shot went narrowly wide closely followed by Richard Tracey blasting over a Dobie cross.
The Cumbrians were made to pay for these missed chances when Richards 54th minute cross was missed by Ingles allowing Scott McGleish a free header passed Weaver.