Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson revealed his displeasure with his side’s performance in the first half as the Blues bowed out in the first round of the EFL Cup away at Harrogate Town.
The Cumbrian team looked lethargic straight off the bat and conceded midway through the first 45 minutes when ex-Middlesbrough forward Sam Folarin slotted the ball into the bottom corner, handing the hosts the lead.
The performance in the opening half forced head coach Simpson to make four changes at the interval, leaving just one remaining for the rest of the game.
Callum Guy, Sean Maguire, Jack Robinson and Ryan Edmondson all entered the fray, replacing Dylan McGeouch, Jordan Gibson, Jack Armer and Samuel Lavelle as Carlisle threw everything at an equaliser.
Unfortunately, Harrogate goalkeeper Mark Oxley was in fine form and managed to keep a clean sheet to see Simon Weaver’s men progress to the second round of the competition.
Speaking to club media after the game, Simpson voiced his concern with the first-half display of his team:
“We had to do something. I just didn’t think it was good enough.
“I felt the body language was really poor from us from the moment we went a goal down. That’s not us. That isn’t what we’re about. That’s a big disappointment.
“I definitely wanted to be in the next round. So I’m massively disappointed in the way we’ve gone about it, massively disappointed in the way we were in the final third, from a group of players who are much better than they’ve shown. We’ve got to go again.”
The 57-year-old also provided an update on key player Owen Moxon who missed the match due to suffering a dead leg:
“I hope that Mox will be fine for the weekend.
“It was a dead leg, and I’m hoping he will be fit, we’re just going to have to wait and see.
“He tried to train on Monday morning but he wasn’t right. We had to leave him back home, but I’d hope within a couple of days, particularly with the fact he played on through it last Saturday, that it will settle down.”
Writer’s View
It was a tough pill to swallow for Carlisle United fans as they extended their run of failing to beat Harrogate in all competitions to eight games, thus exiting the League Cup at the first time of asking.
However, due to the issues within the squad, it was understandable that Simpson had to rotate and omit some of the starting players from Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home against Fleetwood Town.
