Two weeks after battling out a 0-0 League draw at Brunton Park part two comes tomorrow at Walsall when Carlisle travel there in the FA Cup.
So how does Blues boss Paul Simpson view a quick re-match against a good Walsall side?
He said: “I can’t say about Walsall, but I know we can play better than we did in the league meeting.
“I was disappointed to only get a point because I wanted us to score. I thought we should have scored with the chances we carved out. We had a couple of set plays which should have been put away, so that’s something we need to do better this weekend.
“I want us to play better as a team than we did in that particular game and if we do, I’m sure we’ll give ourselves a chance of going through.”
“I don’t think I have to mention the next round to the players. I don’t have to use that as incentive because everybody knows what’s at stake.
“It’s really obvious what you can get if you go through. Everybody is aware of that because it’s when the big boys come into it.
“We want to go and compete in this competition so we have to deal with this one properly, which isn’t going to be easy, and if we do that we’ll take whatever comes in the next stage.
“I think it’s an FA Cup game and we all know you’ve got to win and get through it, simple as that. We’re going to go there to win it.
“I always say that in football you can have two types of motivation – either the intrinsic motivation where it comes from within that you just desperately want to win, or you want the extrinsic rewards that go with it.
“Being involved in a glamour third-round tie, getting the bonuses that go with winning FA Cup games, whatever rocks your boat I don’t really care, so long as they go out and give us a good performance.
“My motivation is to get us through to the next round, because I want to be in the hat. I want to go and compete against whoever it might be, and I don’t even sit here and think I want a massive tie away from home.
“I don’t dream of going to Old Trafford or the Etihad, I dream about getting as far as we can in the FA Cup. If it can be a third, fourth, fifth round, whatever, go and create a bit of history for our football club.
“I’m also not deluded, I know we have a really tough game to get through in the second round, but if we can do that we’ll be ok.”
And, as ever in a game like this, if you can’t win it, don’t lose it.
“I’m really looking forward to this next run of games where it’s Saturday-Saturday and we’re not having to worry about quick preparations and recoveries for midweek games. We have room to manoeuvre so if we can’t win I’ll gladly take a replay.
“That would bring them back to Brunton Park a couple of weeks later and I would gladly have a fixture that week. This week-end is about finding a way to get a result. If it’s not a win, then a draw so we have a second bite at it.
“Look, if you stay in the competition as long as you possibly can, and in games as long as you possibly can, that’s when anything can happen.
“We saw the other day that you’ve got a Saudi guy who goes and has a great bit of skill before smashing one in the top corner. Who really cares, it doesn’t matter how you get through.
-“It’s always about getting the result and this week-end will be one of those games where I say to the players, find a way. Find a way to win the game because if you’re in the third round nobody really cares how you got there.”
