Carlisle United boss Simpson hits back after Barrow AFC win

The United boss said he was delighted Carlisle overcame a home side he felt were “desperate” to disrupt the Blues’ promotion push.

Simpson even aimed a barbed comment at the Barrow hierarchy as he reflected on Carlisle’s 1-0 win at the SO Legal Stadium.

Simpson, speaking in a club interview, said: “I think you could see they desperately wanted to beat us today, to trip us up."

The Blues boss then alleged: “I’m hearing stories about their chairman celebrating in Grimsby’s directors box when we went a goal down [against Stockport] last Tuesday night."

He later added to the News & Star: “There’s no love lost, I can assure you of that. Two Cumbrian clubs wanting the best for each other? Obviously that’s not the case.

“I get that, I’m not really bothered, but I’m so happy that we’ve won, really happy that we’ve won, and let’s see what comes now.”

• Read Jon Colman's big match verdict on Carlisle's vital win at Barrow

Some sources have, though, suggested Barrow's chairman was not at the Grimsby game in question.

Carlisle’s triumph kept their automatic promotion hopes alive with the Blues now a point outside the top three with two games to go.

Several of their fellow contenders also won but fifth-placed United can at least seal a play-off place if they beat Salford City next weekend. They remain three points above eighth.

They earned three crucial points after Ben Barclay’s first Blues goal was backed up by some resolute defending at Holker Street.

Simpson praised Carlisle's resolute defending (Image: Richard Parkes)

Simpson felt it was the determined way Carlisle held Barrow off that was central to their win.

“Over the game, with the added time, it’s 100 minutes, of rolling your sleeves up, working your socks off and earning what is a massive result for us today, and that’s all we’re bothered about,” he said.

“Without a doubt it was bodies on the line, heads on the line. I thought defensively we were outstanding and that’s 20 clean sheets this season – that’s some going, that’s a real achievement.”

Simpson highlighted moments such as a vital Jack Armer challenge on Ben Whitfield that helped Carlisle keep a club record-equalling 20th league clean sheet of the season intact.

“They [challenges like that] are as good as goals,” he said. “They are goal saving challenges.

“I think every single one of them have put a shift in.”

While United’s winner wasn’t a goal of the season contender, Simpson was pleased with the way they forced it.

“I think Hunts [Paul Huntington] had a backheel then Ben [Barclay] bundles it over the line,” he said.

“It’s just about getting goals. We have the [set-piece] set-up right, they all have runs they have to make, we know where the delivery’s got to go and on that occasion Mox [Owen Moxon] put it right on the money, Kristian Dennis gets a flick at the near post, and it’s really difficult to defend against that.]

“I’m pleased with so many things but the biggest thing for me is the character they’ve shown, the way they’ve defended, they’ve dug in, quite a hostile crowd even though there’s not many turn up…

"I felt they dealt with it all really well and kept their discipline.”

Two of United’s promotion rivals play crucial games in hand on Tuesday night.

Eighth-placed Mansfield Town can go level on points with the Blues and fourth-placed Stockport County if they beat champions Leyton Orient.

Third-placed Stevenage, meanwhile, go to tenth-placed Swindon Town, where victory would put Steve Evans' side four points clear of the chasing pack with two games to go.