Carlisle United might be down but they are not out, and the support the team received at Exeter on Saturday delighted manager Keith Millen.
The new boss has called for club unity midst all the fractious relationships at Brunton Park and appreciated the travelling support in these troubled times.
He told the club website: “I’m very proud of the fans. They’ve come all this way and it’s tough for them to see the game go like that.
“The way they clapped the lads off at the end you could see that they appreciated the effort that had been put in.
“I’d like to thank the fans for the journey they’ve made and also for the support they gave us. The players really appreciate it and I’ve told them to make sure they understand why they were clapped off.
“The fans weren’t doing that because they lost, they were doing it because they’d seen the effort. That’s why I feel for the players and the fans.
“It’s not so much frustration, but when you put that much effort in you want some reward. I thought the lads worked so hard, and if there was any justice they should have got something from the game. That’s how I’m feeling.
“You just hoped that we would get that one more chance so we could send them home with something. I thought things went against us. There are some tough decisions for a referee to make, and we felt that an equaliser would be a bit of justice and something nice for the fans.
“I actually thought we deserved it, but it wasn’t to be.”
That 2-1 defeat at Exeter, coupled with Oldham’s late win over Port Vale, dropped United into the bottom two again.
But they have an instant opportunity to make amends on Tuesday night when they entertain Harrogate at Brunton Park.
Their immediate rivals in distress are also playing – Scunthorpe host Leyton Orient while Oldham go to Northampton.
