Carlisle United assistant manager's verdict on Central League Cup victory at Fleetwood Town

Sam Fishburn’s 90th-minute goal earned the Blues a 1-0 win at Fleetwood Town in the Central League Cup.

And United assistant manager Skelton said the pros and youth players who featured in the game went about things the right way.

“Attitude and application should be a minimum always, in any game you play,” Skelton said.

“It isn’t always there, so it was fantastic to see that from them in this game. “I asked them how they all felt with them being shattered and coming out of it having won the game.

READ MORE: Report - Fishburn goal hands Blues victory in Central League Cup

“They are rightly very pleased and delighted with themselves.

“Right through it was a really good performance, which is even better when you think that we were up against an under-23 team that had much more experience than we had.

“We have five or six under-18s playing, seven or eight in total who have come through our system, and in terms of that it’s really pleasing.

“They got the reward from the way they stuck at it. It was tough at the start, they came at us, but if you look over the full game I think you’d say that we created a number of very good chances.

United prevailed in the game at Poolfoot Farm (Image: Jon Colman)

“Both keepers were outstanding, the young lads did well, and the loanees showed a very positive attitude.”

Sub Fishburn turned in a Jack Stretton cross to give United victory in their first group game.

Carlisle used the game to give minutes to the likes of Taylor Charters, Duncan Idehen, Jack Ellis and Sonny Hilton.

Keeper Gabe Breeze impressed with some good saves, while some of United’s youth players also caught the eye.

“It maybe wasn’t fantastic or free flowing all the way, but there are a lot of pleasing things to come out of it,” Skelton.

“We didn’t perhaps retain the ball [as well as we can], but the attitude and application was first rate. We don’t need to criticise anyone after this, we can only compliment them.”

Derby County loanee Stretton passed up three good chances to score but Skelton praised the striker for the way he kept going to set up the winner.

“We can be critical when someone doesn’t take their chances, but he kept making the runs and he kept getting in there,” said Paul Simpson’s No2.

“That’s why he gets his assist, because he didn’t stop.

“He had three really good opportunities where he’ll think he should have scored, but he’ll get sharper.

“He can take confidence from the runs he made and the way he competed. Both centre-backs were bigger then him but he never let either of them get a free header.

“You could see the timings of his runs got better and better and him and Sonny linked up really well. It’s game sharpness and that’s important.

“Again, his attitude was an example to the rest of them about how you conduct yourself when you go out on loan. If any of ours go out they should do exactly what our loanees are doing for us.”

The game also saw a number of feisty moments with four yellow cards shown and two Fleetwood players fortunate not to be dismissed.

Skelton said he was pleased with the competitive aspect of the game.

“It’s what you want, because that’s real football,” he said.

“You can feel the tackles coming, you get into tackles, you win the second balls and you compete.

“That’s a massive part of League Two football, any football actually, and that’s why it’s good to see that they can play part when it isn’t nicey-nicey.

“There was a lot of pressing, challenges, and we’re asking players to win headers and first contact, and they did all of that.”

United lined up in a 4-3-3 system, as opposed to the 3-5-2 seen in first-team games so far this season.

But Skelton said: “It was based on the lads we had available.

“It’s difficult when you haven’t trained together, and when the younger lads haven’t trained with the first team players, so you just try to keep it as simple as you can.”

Among the youngsters to impress was Sam Hetherington, who came off the bench and had a part in the move which led to Fishburn’s winner.

“He’s a left-sided centre midfielder and he’s going on as a right back,” said Skelton.

“I just think he was pleased to get on. There was no pressure on him, and I thought he did really well.”