“If you listen to the media, you can tell the pin’s been taken out of the grenade” – Curle frustrated with Carlisle treatment

(Photo:Action Images via Reuters)

By Alex Beard

A phenomenal overhead kick from Shaun Miller against Barnet prevented Carlisle from slipping to three straight defeats at the weekend.

The 1-1 draw was a step in the right direction for a side who have been struggling towards the foot of the League Two table so far this season.

And with division rivals Chesterfield and Port Vale dismissing their managers last Saturday, avoiding defeat at Brunton Park was of paramount importance to boss Keith Curle.

The 53-year old was adamant that the Cumbrian’s warranted a share of the spoils during what has been a tough period for the club: “I think they deserved it because they’ve been working hard and we haven’t been affected by outside distractions,” he said.

“We got knocked by the goal and that feeds the frenzy because things aren’t going our way. But at half-time we said we’ve got to believe, got to stick in, because it will turn and change.

“If you listen to the local media, you can tell the pin’s been taken out of the hand grenade. It’s been rolled in the room and it’s just waiting now to explode.

“I’ll pick it up, put it in my pocket and I’ll deal with it. We can only deal with it on the pitch.

“The players are young men and it’s a big test for them but they didn’t take a backward step. Towards the end the atmosphere was very reminiscent of last season and the season before – the supporters wanted that ball in the net.”

Curle’s side will look to further ease the pressure on their manager when they travel to Crewe next weekend.