Paul Simpson unhappy with Carlisle display in draw at Harrogate

Posted Wednesday, November 09, 2022 by PA

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson insisted that there were very few positives to take from the 3-3 draw at Harrogate.

The Cumbrians headed to Wetherby Road seventh in the League Two standings and with their sights set on fifth place following what has been a bright start to the campaign.

But they found themselves 3-2 down following a spirited fightback by the struggling hosts and needed a last-gasp equaliser from Owen Moxon to salvage a point.

“We haven’t lost the game, we’ve taken a point from it and showed good character and desire to keep going at the end, but that’s the only positive I can take,” Simpson said.

“That performance is nowhere near what we are as a group. I don’t think that we ever got a grip of the game at all.

“We talked before the game about an opportunity to go fifth in the table, the players talked about it in the changing room, but that level of performance wasn’t one of a team that looked like they really wanted to go fifth.

“And, if we perform like that, then we won’t.”

Assessing what went wrong for his side on the night, Simpson added: “The first goal we scored was against the run of play, but we’ve then been really poor for their first, allowing them in behind.

“We’ve been done from a set-play for the second goal, a free header inside the six-yard box, then we’ve been done for their third by not pressing and getting out to the ball.”

Taylor Charters’ stunning 12th-minute opener was cancelled out by Luke Armstrong, but Ryan Edmondson’s header early in the second period restored Carlisle’s advantage.

Undeterred, Harrogate pulled level for a second time as Warren Burrell nodded in a Danny Grant corner, then moved ahead when Jaheim Headley picked out the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

But Moxon had the final say in the dying seconds to leave Harrogate just a point clear of the relegation zone.

“It’s hard to take,” Town boss Simon Weaver said.

“It’s bitterly disappointing to lose two points in the dying moments of the game having fought so valiantly and taken a 3-2 lead that we deserved.

“I think we deserved three points. You look at the creativity, the chances and the possession and I’m sure the stats will back me up on that. We played with good energy and a real purpose.

“So it hurts, but we can’t bruise too much. It’s important that we remember that for large parts we looked fantastic tonight.”