Curle gets third straight win

Manager Keith Curle saw Carlisle trounce a poor Stevenage side 3-0 to make it a third victory on the bounce since he took over.

The home side produced an impressive first half showing with goals from Brad Potts, who netted a low left-foot shot from just inside the area, and Steven Rigg who finished off a sweeping move involving Danny Grainger and Potts. Andy Bond provided a rare test for Carlisle goalkeeper Dan Hanford with a shot from 20 yards, but Mark Beck's close range finish clinched it for Carlisle late on. "I blindfolded the players and put them in pairs with one telling the other what to do in order to develop trust," Curle explained. "I trying to develop a team ethic and we will get the foundations right. If there's any secret then it's simplicity - putting square pegs in square holes. The club needed change because it was going in the wrong direction. "I have got a free rein to do what I want as long as I tell the board why I'm doing things and you can't ask for more than that." Curle has seen his new side take nine points from their last three games and keep three clean sheets into the bargain. He said: "There's mental strength developing in the dressing room. We knew Stevenage would try to knock us out of our stride, they are that sort of team. We stopped them playing to their strengths and went toe to toe and man to man." Stevenage manager Graham Westley confessed he was feeling "humiliated and embarrassed" by his side's defeat. However Westley admitted: "We are struggling without our bigger players and bigger characters. We are having to call on players who probably should be doing 15-25 minutes off the bench. "We had our moments and worked our way into it and nearly carved out a goal to chase something, but in the end they got a third. "We will go away and analyse it, but it's key to get some of our players back. A lot of young players are being used. Of course I'm not going to excuse a 3-0 defeat, but we'll look at it factually and go away and make sure we improve and bounce back next week with three points." Westley put his team's performance down to 'a bad day at the office' but said of Carlisle: "They are a big club and produce young players for fun. Carlisle are a decent side and they have quality players coming off the bench." Stevenage had 55-year-old goalkeeping coach Dave Beasant on the bench although the former FA Cup winner and international was not called into action. Had he played he would have set a record as the oldest player to take part in a Football League game. Westley said:"He's been absolutely brilliant on the training ground. He's fit and in good shape and at 55 the whole squad feel that as back up he is someone they can trust and an option on the bench. Had he been used I have no doubt he would have done exceptionally well."