Cumbrians sparkle for Abbott

07 August 2010 19:30
Carlisle manager Greg Abbott saw his new midfield diamond formation sparkle in their 2-0 win over Brentford. Goals from Gary Madine and Ian Harte, from the penalty spot, meant the Cumbrians gained revenge for last season's opening-day defeat by the same opposition. Abbott said: "It's a system that we can rotate and defend compactly yet get forward and hurt teams. Brentford shifted the ball from back to front quickly but we did very well at times. "We want to be flexible and play a system that will be exciting yet give us a good defensive platform. We thought it worked well and got the best out of the players. We won't use it every time but we will employ it when we feel we need it. "The first game is the biggest sigh of relief, if you lose it knocks the stuffing out of you. The lads have gone home thinking they are a really good side. It's a real confidence booster for us. "I thought we nullified as potent a strikeforce as there is in the division. They have proven goalscorers and the only slight disappointment is that we didn't put them to the sword even more. All 11 were above par and everyone contributed."

Source: PA