Last updated at 12:47, Monday, 17 December 2012

Greg Abbott today insisted Carlisle United were NOT freefalling towards relegation – and claimed his team are capable of a winning run.

Greg Abbott

That is despite the Cumbrians having now lost six of their last seven games in all competitions and sitting just two points above the League One drop zone.

Their poor form means the 19th-placed Blues are staring at a long survival battle after losing to fellow strugglers Shrewsbury.

But manager Abbott was adamant that his team, with Lee Miller back from injury, was showing signs of improvement.

Saturday’s 2-1 loss in Shropshire saw the Blues unable to take advantage of long spells of pressure.

And Abbott – whose side go to third-bottom Scunthorpe this weekend – said: “If we perform like that, we can beat teams and we’ll be alright.

“We know we need points and it doesn’t matter how we get them, but performances like that will see us win more than we lose.

“I’m in a better frame of mind than I was last week, and the week before. The team shaped up pretty well and were the better side by quite a bit.”

Abbott said fans who were still “berating” his team after their display at Greenhous Meadow were “probably wrong”.

United only had Liam Noble’s 33rd minute equaliser to show for their periods of dominance, with Jon Taylor and Paul Parry scoring for Graham Turner’s side.

The fit-again Miller came close to a comeback goal with Matty Robson and Joe Garner also going close, the latter in the final game of his 93-day loan.

Abbott, who also recalled keeper Mark Gillespie and defender Frank Simek, added: “If people see what the performance was like and where we might be, then they are real good supporters.

“There will be grumbles because we have lost and that’s the slant people are taking at the minute.”

Asked about the prospect of a relegation battle and the United manager would only say: “There are 24 teams talking about the ‘r’ word until they have got 50 points. Nobody has got 50 points yet.”

Abbott only fielded questions from BBC Radio Cumbria and declined to speak to News & Star Sport after the defeat.

First published at 12:46, Monday, 17 December 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk