Paul Simpson's reaction to Carlisle United's draw with Sutton United

The Blues boss said players and fans were caught out for taking things for granted.

United had to settle for a 1-1 draw after Ryan Edmondson’s opener was cancelled out by a Will Randall strike.

And manager Simpson, who admitted the performance had not been worthy of a win, said things were not in their usual harmony on and off the pitch on Saturday.

“I think everybody has forgotten that we are very early into a bit of a rebuild here, and that’s as a whole football club,” he said.

“That’s not just as a team, but it’s the whole club. I really do think everybody turned up today expecting it to be a foregone conclusion that we would get a result.

“When that happens you tend to get caught out. I thought the players were nervy, and I certainly thought the crowd were nervy.

“There were times when they were moaning and groaning and there were sarcastic comments coming when mistakes were made – and let me tell you that none of these players ever go out there to deliberately make mistakes.

“They all go out there wanting to do it properly but sometimes it doesn’t happen for them.

“We’ve only lost three games so a lot of times it has happened for us. So we have to calm down, keep our heads and keep going together.

READ MORE: Our big match verdict on Carlisle United's draw with Sutton

“I said when I first came back in February that if we all stick together we’ve got a chance. I’m not sure we all stuck together today.”

A frustrating spectacle saw Edmondson cap United’s one bright spell in the game with a headed opener on the half-hour.

It was the former Leeds United striker’s second goal in successive games and fifth of the campaign.

United put pressure on Sutton to no avail in the 1-1 draw (Image: Ben Holmes)

But Randall’s effort on the stroke of half-time earned a determined Sutton outfit a deserved point.

United moved up to fifth in League Two and are five unbeaten in the league, but Simpson did not deflect from their shortcomings in the Brunton Park clash.

“I do think it’s a missed opportunity,” he said.

“If we want to be up in these top places we have to win our home games, especially against a team who don’t win [many] away from home.

“It was just one of those games which was really bitty, stop-starting, never any real flow to it.

“In the first half when we got the ball down on the grass and passed it, we looked a good side, we got into wide areas, got runners going behind them. We just didn’t have that quality in the final third.

“You just need [more] bravery on the ball. You’ve got to get players who are prepared to do it. We turned it over far too easily. It was an easy option just to hook it on.

“They [Sutton] have a style of play which is really difficult to play against, and unfortunately we resorted a little bit to that style in the way we kept tossing it away and making it a scrap.

“We just needed more control about it and we didn’t do that.”

READ MORE: Ex-Liverpool star slams 'time-wasting' in Carlisle v Sutton game

In the second half, Simpson brought on Jack Stretton and Jamie Devitt – the latter for his first appearance in three months – in a bid to find a winner.

Asked if he had considered more wholesale changes earlier in the game given the stodgy nature of the contest, he said: “No, I didn’t. I think that smacks of a bit of panic if you’re doing that.

“When you’re a coach and you’re suddenly throwing everything out of the window and go to something totally different, players look at you and wonder what you’re doing.

“We’ve been consistent so far this season. We felt with the shape we were going with it would cause them problems. Then we had to change it after about 20-odd minutes, and in the second half I went to a back four because I wanted to see whether we could get a little bit of energy into midfield.

“We tried lots of things. I didn’t think it was one of those games which was going to be easy for a sub to come off the bench to affect it. Jack and Jamie came on, and I thought there were little glimpses, but it wasn’t in my mind to make a more wholesale change and scrap everything we’ve done consistently well.”

Simpson said United’s position in the table should remain in clear sight despite the frustrating display.

“We’re now 20 games in and we’re fifth in the table. That’s not bad going,” he said.

“I’d have taken that last February when I came in, if somebody had offered me that.

“Let’s not get silly, let’s just stick together, stay with it, and hopefully we can keep moving on.”