The win at Scunthorpe last Saturday was vital, even if the performance wasn’t great.

Steven Pressley is honest enough. He said the first half was rubbish. But it’s a results business. It doesn’t matter if it’s the 1960s or at present.

I’ve seen me come off the pitch with a 1-0 win when I’ve hardly had a kick. In the old Second Division at Sheffield United on a Friday night, all I did was a lot of shuttle runs between their full-back and right-winger to stop their supply of the ball. My tongue was hanging out at the end.

We won 1-0. Bob Stoke gave me a pat on the back and said I’d done well. You think, what was my contribution to the game? I only put a couple of crosses in.

Your contribution was, you worked hard. You did a job for the team. At the end of the day it’s a team game.

A good result can hide a lot. And it breeds confidence. Mentally you feel capable of doing anything.

I remember in the late 60s we had a similar start to now. It was Bob Stokoe’s first spell at Carlisle.

We didn’t win any of our first 12 matches. It wasn’t pretty. But from being at the bottom we gradually built up.

We went 13 games unbeaten from the end of September until just before Christmas and finished mid-table.

It would be good to back up the Scunthorpe win with a home win against Exeter. We haven’t had the chance to back up an away win since January. A good win could take us into the top half.

Exeter are top but it doesn’t mean that much. It’s that sort of division. I don’t think anybody is going to put their stamp on it like Lincoln did last season. It’s just another game for me, whether they’re top or whatever.

Exeter will come to play football. They’ll come and have a go. They won’t put 10 men behind the ball. I think that will suit Carlisle under Pressley. He’s trying to be a good footballing side.

With Dick Young, possession football was bred into us. I love to see it played on the ground. I used to come deep and get it off Hughie Neil.

But if you’re getting pressed and a short ball is going to put you in trouble, you’ve got to clear your lines. There’s times you’ve got to mix it up a bit anyway.

Fans aren’t taking to Pressley’s team playing out from the back because results haven’t been great. It’s vital to get a couple of home wins.

At home we’ve created lots of chances. With the Salford game last month, you think how the hell did we not have that wrapped up?

If Nathan Thomas gets enough supply he’ll create chances. We’ve got players who can create. It’s just putting the finishing touch to it.

It’s probably desperation. Everybody that’s played football is guilty of missing chances. You can think about it too much. You want to make sure instead of doing it naturally.

The transfer window closed with Hallam Hope still a Carlisle player. I know Hope isn’t a big fan favourite but he got double figures last year.

He might have had his head turned by other clubs being interested.

He’s still young. For his own good, and for his own satisfaction, he’s got to get his head together. That will help Carlisle and it will help his chances of a move, if that’s what he wants.

Interview: Roger Lytollis