How nice it was to get that winning feeling back at Brunton Park. The victory over Newport also showed how tight League Two is, given that it sent Carlisle up five places to 11th.

Even after some of the struggles we’ve had recently, United are still in contention, still in reach of the top seven.

That’s the margin between a victory and a draw in this league. Danny Grainger’s brilliant winner has made a significant difference when you look at that table and hopefully it is just the boost the team needs.

From the start of the game Carlisle just looked in a better frame of mind. The double-Ds – Devitt and Danny – certainly made a difference, not just with their goals, and the team looked more balanced for them being back in it.

I know that last week I made the case for young Liam McCarron to be given a start, but you have to look both ways, and those experienced players definitely stood out.

Devitt can dictate from midfield, and is there honestly anyone in the country with a sweeter left peg than Grainger?

If you go over his Carlisle career and add up the goals he has contributed, from open play or set-pieces, he will have amassed a fair number of points for the club.

John Sheridan’s decision to use him as a wing-back gave him a bit more freedom and allowed him to get higher up the pitch where that left foot - his real asset - could do some damage.

Going forward in general the team created more chances than they have for a while, and in goal Adam Collin also showed his worth again with some important saves.

You would like to think it will put the team in good spirits for the FA Cup at Crewe tomorrow. Given the position United are in, I feel it is a massive game.

There is still that magic of the cup for the smaller clubs, the thought of going on a run and pulling a big side out of the hat, but financially it is also very important. There is £36,000 prize money for the winners tomorrow and those figures only increase the further you go.

It is a winnable tie and it would be nice to think a cup run could give Sheridan at least a few extra quid in his budget.

A cup run can also keep a season alive and when you consider crowds are now down to the 3,500 mark then you feel it is going to take something special to get those supporters back.

It worries you, regarding the FA Cup’s standing, when you read about the big European clubs discussing this Super League idea. You can bet that, if it ever goes ahead, the English clubs involved will no longer give a second thought to the FA Cup.

At least, at the moment, it still captures the imagination - and, where Carlisle are concerned, it hasn’t escaped my attention that it is 50 years now since one of our best runs in the competition, which saw us beat Newcastle.

Back in 1968 we were on a £10 win bonus, but in FA Cup games we were also on a £1 per thousand crowd bonus for anything over 5,000.

The window was open in the dressing room at St James’ Park, and we could hear the Tannoy. At 2.30pm it said the estimated crowd was 40,000.

“Keep them coming in!” we said. In the end there were 57,000. We beat them, too, which made it a decent little earner as well as an unforgettable FA Cup occasion. Happy days!