Skipper Danny Grainger says Carlisle United cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves after the end of their FA Cup dream.

The captain said a strong response is now all-important after Rochdale's second-round win at Brunton Park.

The visitors' 2-0 win earned them a place in tonight's draw, leaving United to concentrate on their League Two promotion push and the Checkatrade Trophy.

While Grainger felt Carlisle should have been awarded a penalty in the first half, he conceded Rochdale had been the better side overall.

And he dismissed the idea that being knocked out of the cup could help keep the Blues fresher for their promotion push.

"People can sit and say it could be a blessing, but we're not a team that will accept a defeat in any competition," the Cumbrian said.

"The league is our bread and butter this year but we're disappointed to get knocked out of the FA Cup.

"It does hurt a little bit but we've got to make sure we bounce back.

"Good teams don't lose two in a row, so we cant feel sorry for ourselves. We bounced back after losing at Newport and put in some good performances and results. We need to do that again now."

United's first home defeat of the campaign was inflicted by Steven Davies' deflected shot and sub Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's late second.

That followed a first-half challenge by Dale's Niall Canavan on Michael Raynes which Grainger felt should have been penalised.

The left-back said: "The first goal was always going to be massive in this game and in my eyes we should have had a stonewall penalty.

"How we don’t get more when Raynesy is held in the box is beyond belief at times. He was literally rugby-tackled. It's like I said to the ref, why would he take a dive there?

"He was about to put the ball into the goal, it's not as if he's stretching or anything, and he was taken out.

"It's the rub of the green - we'll probably get some later in the season that we shouldn't. But we won't lay the blame on one decision. He hasn't given it, and we've got to be better. I thought we were disappointing.

"That said, for long periods of the game we matched them, and that’s without being at our fantastic best.

"Rochdale are a good young team and it shows what we've got in the dressing room that we're disappointed we haven't beaten a team in the play-offs in the league above us."

United host Mansfield in the Trophy tomorrow night, having been overtaken at the top of League Two by Doncaster after their 4-3 win at Stevenage.

Grainger hopes supporters will back the side tomorrow despite the controversy engulfing the competition.

He added: "We would like to see a few more fans through the gates than in the previous few rounds.

"All the lads totally understand why the fans are staying away, but if we can get them back and behind the lads we can go and do well in this competition.

"Carlisle are one of the most successful teams in this competition and we want to make sure we carry on that tradition."