Caretaker boss Gavin Skelton stresses need for goals after Carlisle stalemate

Posted Sunday, October 24, 2021 by PA

Carlisle caretaker boss Gavin Skelton stressed his side needed to find some inspiration in front of goal after their dire League Two goalless draw with fellow strugglers Oldham.

It was a game devoid of any real quality as the lowly sides settled for a point apiece at Brunton Park.

Carlisle stopper Mark Howard produced some fine saves, while Jamie Bowden had a goal controversially chalked off for offside for the visitors.

After seeing his side fail to score for a fifth time in six games, Skelton said: “Whoever comes in needs to look into that transfer market because we’re not scoring goals.

“There’s no hiding that fact that we’re not scoring goals.

“We had a lot of balls flashing across the box and you just want someone to get on the end of those.

“We had some good opportunities first half, but we didn’t work the keeper enough really to potentially win the game.

“It was edgy, nervy, scrappy because of where both teams are in the league (21st and 22nd) and it looked like that at times.

“We just have to find that confidence at times. There were some good parts, but we just need to find that belief from somewhere.

“To be fair the crowd were really good today because at times it wasn’t pretty. They’re expecting us at half-time to go on and storm the game but they’ve stuck with us and tried to get behind us.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t give them more to give us that lift.

“You have to look at the positives. It’s a clean sheet, two games undefeated and we move up a place. There’s no hiding that we need to play better.”

Keith Curle’s Latics are also struggling for results, but the manager was quick to take the positives after a fifth clean sheet in seven league outings.

“It was a nervy encounter and I think one goal would have settled it either way,” admitted Curle. “We thought we got that goal, but it wasn’t to be and that’s football.

“That’s our fifth clean sheet out of seven and that’s acceptable but we need to start winning games, there’s no doubt about that.

“There’s an air of disappointment because I think we had enough entries into the final third.

“We lacked that quality to create the opening because of poor decision making.

“That’s something we need to work on going forward.”