Carlisle United manager's verdict on St Mirren draw

The Blues drew 2-2 in an entertaining pre-season contest in Paisley.

Harrison Neal shot Carlisle ahead before the Scottish Premiership side turned things around with goals from Toyosi Olusanya and James Scott.

But Terell Thomas’ second goal of pre-season rewarded Carlisle for their efforts in front of 331 travelling fans.

Manager Simpson accepted the performance showed room for improvement in certain departments.

But he was encouraged by plenty of what he saw.

“I thought we showed some really good signs,” he told the News & Star.

“I thought when we were patient and passed the ball, we had a good balance to us.

• READ MORE: Simpson - why duo missed Blues' draw at St Mirren

“I’m really pleased with the way the outside centre-backs stepped in. There are things we need to work on defensively – we need to work harder to stop crosses going in, and obviously it's always disappointing to concede from a set place – so there's something we'll need to look at there as well.

Harrison Neal and Charlie Wyke combined for United's opener (Image: Ben Holmes)

“But overall I was delighted with how we looked.

“Fitness-wise it’s a big thing, because we've worked them really hard this week [during the training camp at St Andrews]. I expected to see a little bit more fatigue, so that shows they're in a good place.

“It's really important to strike the balance between working them hard to get fit and not breaking them, so I'm pleased with that.

“It was a good workout, I saw a lot of good things, and I saw things that we need to keep working on as well.”

Neal’s first goal for the club, on the half-hour mark, came after a bright interchange involving Charlie Wyke, and Simpson said it came during the kind of spell he wants to see from his midfield.

“We wanted our eights, Josh Vela and Ethan Robson, to make forward runs and try and break the lines of their centre-backs, and I thought they did it really well,” the manager said.

“I was just getting a bit frustrated because we weren't keeping the ball long enough.

“We talked about getting six passes to try and kill the opposition, and we didn't do it, but then that was an opportunity where we did string a few passes together and we took a bit of control – and I'm delighted for H [Neal] to get that finish. It's a really good finish into the far corner.”

Match report: St Mirren 2-2 Carlisle United

The hosts levelled when Olusanya headed home a cross early in the second half and that – plus sub Scott’s later goal from a corner – highlighted aspects where United need to be better.

James Scott heads St Mirren's second goal (Image: Ben Holmes)

“With the first one, I’d spoken at half-time about working to stop crosses because we had a little bit of a scare just at the end of the first half where the ball came in from our right, and missed two of their players.

“We talked about that at half-time, but we didn't stop the cross coming in for the goal. It's a good header from Olusanya – give him his due because he's a good striker – but we should have stopped it at source to start with.

“The second goal from a set play…yes, it's disappointing. I actually thought it was offside, but I'm told it may have come off one of our players' heads, so obviously he's onside then.

“There's things that we just need to tighten up on there. We've got new faces and new players in there, so we've just got to tighten everything up and make sure we improve.”

Simpson, though, was pleased with the spirit his side showed to fight back – with Thomas burying a commanding header from a Dan Butterworth corner which Ben Barclay helped on.

“We've got players with a bit of desire who want to go and score,” said Simpson.

“The big thing is getting people who can deliver it, and I thought Butts put a great ball in from the other side, and then from this side as an outswinger…and it’s having that desire [as Thomas showed] to go and get on the end of it.

“I also thought Jake Allen and Freddie O’Donoghue around the goalkeeper just unnerved him a little bit, and he lost his concentration.

“So it's everybody doing their jobs, it's things that people don't actually notice, but it's effective if it comes off.”