We caught up with goalkeeper Adam Collin shortly after full time on Saturday to get his thoughts on a disappointing defeat against Stevenage at Brunton Park, and on tonight's home fixture against Grimsby Town.
“We’re all disappointed,” he admitted. “It’s another game where I don’t actually think we played particularly badly. We played well, at times, but we just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net ... and that’s what it boiled down to really.
“If we’d taken the chances we had in the first 20 minutes or so it would have been a different game, and it was the same against Tranmere a couple of weeks ago. We created good chances and played well, but we got punished because we hadn’t put the ball in the back of the net."
“It’s frustrating when you know you aren’t playing badly but you’re losing games," he added. "It's even more frustrating when it's off the back of a great away result at Bury last week.
"We looked at the league table after that one and you think you’ll be able to pick a few points up, because we had two home games. If we’d done that, we would have really consolidated our place in the top four or five in the league. It’s still early in the season, so although it is frustrating, we’ll just go again on Tuesday night.
“You don’t start looking at the league table until Christmas time because that’s when it really starts to sort itself out. I think there’s only three points separating 12 places or so at the moment, so it’s really tight and things can change quickly."
“It’s all about trying to pick up points," he told us. "At half time on Saturday we said we were going out to try and win the game, but it was also important we didn’t lose it.
"The finish for their goal is a decent strike but we were sloppy in the lead up to it. We did have chances to get back into it in the second half, but we just couldn’t take them."
On the strike which won Stevenage the game, he said: “I don’t think there was much I could have done about their goal. It fell to him nicely on the edge of the box and he’s stuck it in the top bin, which is fair enough.
“We’ve just got to put it behind us and try to pick points up consistently, rather than winning one week and losing the next. Even if it’s draws here and there, it’s about getting points consistently.
"That’s what you’ve got to do if you want to be in the top seven in this division. It is frustrating, but it isn’t like we’re playing badly, which is the positive thing. If we weren’t creating chances that would be a big issue, but we are without taking them."
On looking to imporve things going forward, he told us: “It could be a case of getting an early goal then going on to get a couple more. If we can score early at home, whoever you’re playing against, it forces them to come out at us on a big pitch, which will hopefully mean we can exploit them.
“We showed at Bury last week that we can defend for long periods once we got the goal, so it’s about getting that first goal then dominating teams from there."
And on his own form, which has seen him make some excellent saves, he commented: “I’m happy with how I’m playing at the moment. Overall I’m quite happy with how I’m doing, and it was nice to make a couple of decent saves in the first half. But I’d obviously still rather have the three points.
“I think for the save with my fingertips Lids [Gary Liddle] sort of ran across me, so I saw it late. It was nice to make the one-on-one save against Revell as well because I played with him at Rotherham, so it was good to make sure he didn’t score!"
“When I signed I knew I was going to have to come in and compete for that starting place with Joe [Fryer]," he said. "Dan [Watson] and the manager were really happy to have two keepers who they knew could be number one goalkeepers. I’m happy I’m in the team now, and my form is alright, so I just want to help us to keep picking up points.
“I’m the oldest in the dressing room so it is like peeling back the years a little bit, but we all just want to get back up to the top end of the league then hopefully try and get out of it. I think the experience in the dressing room is important, especially down the spine of the team, whoever you play.
"We’ve got myself then Tom [Parkes] and Ant [Gerrard] in front of me, which gives us a good experienced base to work from. We’ve also got Lids at right back, and when Danny [Grainger] is in the team you’ve got a really experienced back five."
Next up for the Blues is Grimsby Town at home on Saturday night.
“It’s good that we’ve got a game so quickly to try and put things right," he told us. "I think from what the manager has said that there might be some changes, but we just want to get back out on Brunton Park and score some goals and pick up points.
“There’s always expectations to win your home games. I think Grimsby lost again on Saturday so they’ll be coming up here looking to put that right.
"If we can start the game right and put the pressure on, then maybe go a goal up, I think you’ll see a different sort of performance from us. I think we’re capable of opening teams up and scoring quite a few goals, but it’s just about getting the first goal."
And with the big keeper being one of the original members of the Penrith 'nappy squad' we asked him about the latest graduate to come through as Liam McCarron signed his 18-month deal.
“It’s fantastic for Liam [McCarron] to get his contract," he said. "It's also good for us to have another Cumbrian in the squad. He’s got a lot of talent, he’s done well when he’s come on and I’ve been impressed with him in training.
"He looks really sharp and he’s got quick feet, especially in and around the box. He can cause real problems for the opposition and I’m delighted for him, and he’ll hopefully go on and have a good career.
“He's another who came though the nappy squad with Irwin Wallace. Irwin does a fantastic job with that, and that's now myself, Danny Grainger and Liam who have been involved with it at a very young age.
"At that age it’s all about encouragement and getting the absolute basics into you. I still speak to Irwin, and he does a fantastic job."
And his final word was for Joe Fryer, who picked up an injury not long after joining the Blues at the start of the season.
“I’ve spoken to Joe a couple of times since his injury," he confirmed. "He was a bit out of it straight after it happened, because he’d had his operation, but he’s recovering now and I know he’ll just be trying to get back on the pitch as quickly as possible.
"Obviously we all hope that happens for him sooner rather than later."
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