Paul Simpson hails heart as Carlisle down Port Vale

Posted Tuesday, January 02, 2024 by PA

Carlisle manager Paul Simpson praised his side’s character after they left it late to secure a 2-1 win over Port Vale and move off the bottom of League One.

Jon Mellish scored the decisive goal in the third minute of stoppage-time after Jordan Gibson’s penalty in the 80th minute cancelled out Ben Garrity’s opener just after half-time.

Victory ends a nine-match winless run for the Cumbrians and sees them move up two places to 22nd.

“You have to do your own job,” Simpson said. “There’s no point worrying about anybody else.

“We have to do our job and the fact that we’ve won today and the way that we’ve gone about it (is pleasing).

“The character that the players showed was tremendous – they just kept plugging away, kept doing it.”

Carlisle had the better of the first-half chances but were punished for not taking them when Garrity struck in the 49th minute for his ninth league goal of the season.

Gibson brought the hosts level with 10 minutes remaining, sending Connor Ripley the wrong way from the penalty spot after Jack Robinson was fouled in the area.

And the home fans were sent into raptures in the dying moments as Mellish headed home Robinson’s cross to secure all three points.

“In the first-half today, we did more than enough to be going in ahead but we didn’t finish things off,” Simpson added.

“And then when you concede that goal, it’s such a sucker punch that you think, ‘oh here we go again’.

“But again, the supporters – they stuck with us, they kept making the noise. The players responded because they kept playing the football and kept creating chances.

“I’m so pleased for everybody that we’ve managed to get three points.”

Defeat for Vale, which came on the back of a 3-0 win over Blackpool last time out, sees them drop one place to 15th.

Manager Andy Crosby put the loss down to a lack of concentration from his team for the winning goal.

“We don’t get set up right,” he said. “To concede from that situation in the last minute of the game is obviously very disappointing.

“Our retention of the ball throughout the whole game was poor.

“We managed to get ourselves in front just after half-time with another goal from Ben but we struggled in the first-half to try and dominate (Joe) Garner off the first contacts, which meant that we had to do a lot of defending.

“We had to defend our box and you then get yourselves in front and it gives you something to look after.

“But our retention of the ball meant we could never really get up the pitch enough and get our wing-backs higher.

“And then we give a penalty away and we concede from a corner in the 93rd minute.”