MANAGER: Went out of their way to look after us

Speaking first about the donation of £522 to the Cumbria Flood Relief Fund from the Welling United Supporters’ Association, he said: “I think that’s a fantastic gesture and I know that everyone who has been affected will be very, very grateful for it.

“It’s typical of the people of Welling and of the way we have been treated from the moment we arrived. They’ve gone out of their way to look after us and they’ve made us feel very welcome. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that they’ve taken it a step further by reacting to the situation our people at home are facing. It really is fantastic and I send a genuine thank you from everyone at Carlisle United Football Club for what they’ve done.”

“We’ve seen the scenes on the television with what’s happening in Cumbria and the surrounding areas, and I think it’s important now that the club becomes the hub of the community,” he added. “We will all get back up to Carlisle and we will do what we can to help. The players are keen to get out there so we’ll be setting time aside after training on Tuesday to see if we can get around and do whatever it takes to make things easier for people who have suffered through this horrible situation.”

Talking about the manner of the victory on the pitch, he said: “I think it shows what’s growing in that dressing room. We knew that if we didn’t turn up with the right attitude and approach we’d get hurt. 

“I’m very pleased that we brought everything we needed to get us through a potential banana skin. Whatever else was happening elsewhere we were here to do a job, but you have to give credit to Welling. They competed and they made it a tricky tie. 

“They had a few situations where, if they’d turned into goals, it could have been a typical cup tie. The big thing is that both clubs have done things properly and I think we’ve all made a lot of friends.”

“We’re pleased for Charlie Wyke and it’s a nice birthday present for him to score his first career hat-trick,” he commented. “I wanted to give him a lot of air time and I thought he played well with Jabo Ibehre. We wanted to give the Welling defenders plenty to think about and they both did that for us. 

“Jabo came off the pitch last week with a slight irritation of his hamstring so that was an opportunity for Charlie to step up another notch. We also knew that if we wanted to progress to the next round we needed to score goals. It all came together for us and we’re pleased.”

“I have to say that I was impressed with Welling,” he said. “They had good energy and they looked comfortable on the ball when they were in possession. There are some neat and tidy footballers in their dressing room and they aren’t too far away from being a really good side.”

“I don’t mind who we get in the next round now,” he concluded. “Whichever team comes out of the hat, we’ll take it as another challenge. We like challenges at this football club because that’s what our game is all about.”