13 March 2021

Chris Beech praises Carlisle for sticking together to see off Bradford

13 March 2021

Chris Beech praised his Carlisle side for sticking together after they ended their eight-game winless run with a 3-1 League Two win against Bradford.

Offrande Zanzala’s brace after Rhys Bennett’s opener did the damage at Brunton Park.

Gareth Evans grabbed a second-half consolation for the visitors, who fell to successive defeats for the first time since December.

“The lads have worked hard and played well for long periods of the games within his run, but they haven’t had the results to reflect that,” said Beech.

“If we’d been getting battered or beaten badly we’d have been worried, but that hasn’t been the case.

“We’ve stayed together and that’s what we’ll continue to do, as we saw in this performance. We were powerful, determined and committed and you could see the players grow in stature after they got their first goal.

“The quality of the set-pieces for both Rhys Bennett and Ozzy Zanzala were superb from Callum Guy – and we could have had more.

“That’s three in two games for Zanzala and he’s arrived now, hasn’t he. I’ve spoken to him privately and he’s responded. I thought he led the line really well – he was a handful.

“His second came at a really good time for us as a team because we were dominating and we needed to get something just to help us to turn the screw.

“In the end we’ve kept a side who have been on a decent run at arm’s length and we’ve reminded everybody that if we stick to our traits, and keep believing in what we’re about, we’ll be fine.”

Mark Trueman was left doubly disappointed at how his side dealt with the elements and Carlisle’s physicality.

He said: “Wind played a factor in the first half and they played it well.

“They had two set plays, put a lot of bodies around the keeper and pressured us.

“We’ve got to do better, we’ve got to stay a bit closer to our men during those set plays.

“In the second half we gave it a go. We changed formation to go a bit more direct to play those conditions and then the wind stopped.

“We’re disappointed. We’re disappointed with how we managed key moments of the game.

“We’re disappointed we didn’t punish the opposition when we had our chances.

“We needed to managed the conditions. The environment played a factor today. It’s a ground that is open.

“We’ve got to do better individually, we’ve gone and taken a man out of midfield to try and get more in the box and then the wind stopped.”

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