There was just one thing Mike Jones got wrong on Good Friday. “I’ve just had chicken – my mum’s gonna kill me,” said the midfielder, who spoke about his Catholic faith and much else after Carlisle’s win against Lincoln. “I completely forgot. I was starving!”

Mistakenly eating meat on such a day was not, perhaps, how Jones expected one of his best afternoons for United to end. One hopes he was forgiven. Carlisle’s supporters would certainly have been in the mood to grant the 31-year-old some leeway given the events which had just unfolded.

Jones’ goal, in the 77th minute, meant a great deal both to club and player. It enabled Carlisle to topple Lincoln, the runaway League Two leaders, and keep their own play-off hopes alive. It was also Jones’ first league goal for United in his 92nd appearance.

In addition it came as Jones returned from a frustrating suspension, incurred through a first-half red card against his former club Bury recently, and in a season when this experienced player spent longer than he will have wished in fighting his way back into favour.

With some personal challenges also hinted at in his post-match media interview, it was not surprising that Jones was in the mood to talk and keep talking. He looked a relieved and, briefly, unburdened man.

It was when speaking about his goal that things went deeper. “I was buzzing to give something back to the lads after the last home game [when I was sent off]…I felt like I let them down, so it was nice to play my part.

“Sometimes in life it feels everything’s against you. It’s like God doesn’t let you be too high for too long. I’d come back into the team, was doing well, feeling good about myself, then ‘bosh’ – crashing back down.

“It was a case of ‘here we go again, got to pick yourself up again’. I always like to come back fit and better. I like to think one of my qualities is being mentally strong. I always feel I can bounce back.”

That he did, in front of a 6,819 crowd which contained two significant people for Jones but had an absentee. His parents were there but not his son. This he touched upon when talking about “my personal circumstances, with my little boy in the last year, having to fight and scrap to see him when I can – a lot of travelling back and forward to Sheffield where he now lives.

“It would have been nice if he was here. He’s gonna try and come to the last [home] game. Maybe I’ll have to try and get another goal!”

It would be sweet indeed if Jones, having ended a three-year wait for any league goal, had another swiftly up his sleeve. At least his parents were at Brunton Park to see the moment he broke his Blues duck. “They haven’t been to many [games] this year – I had my injury at the start, then I was in and out of the team,” Jones said. “They came to the Bury game and that didn’t go to plan, so before this one Mum sent me a bit of an ultimatum message…

“It was really nice [that they were here]. They’ve always been great support since I was 16 and first starting my career. It was nice to do that for them.”

All these reflections remind us that there are people behind the shirts and numbers that go into battle for United each week; struggles we seldom see. Jones had been outstanding against Lincoln even before scoring and it was on many levels that he described the moment the ball swept past goalkeeper Matt Gilks and hit the net as an “incredible feeling”.

The low 25-yarder proved only his second United goal, his other coming in the League Cup at Derby in his sixth appearance. Thoughts that Carlisle may have signed a goalscoring midfielder at that stage were dashed in the many months to follow and the long wait left Jones exasperated.

“I used to score before I came here,” he laughed. “My record was pretty good. I’m not sure how many I’ve scored in my career – 40-odd knocking on 50 I think. It’s one of them rots. I’ve hit the post, bar, the keepers have made some good saves this season, and you just don’t think it’s ever gonna come.

“Sometimes the ugly ones go in. The lads have given me a bit of stick about scuffing it a bit. I would have taken any goal – I didn’t care how it went in. I suppose [Friday] was a prime example that you’ve got to stick in there, keep believing in yourself. It went in and it was my goal.”

In the short-term it kept United’s top-seven hopes alive. This unpredictable campaign next goes to Grimsby, where Carlisle will hopefully repeat one of the key aspects of their Lincoln win: a powerful central midfield combination between Jones and Kelvin Etuhu.

“Keith [Curle] brought Kelv in to play alongside me, but we’ve had many games where it hasn’t gone well for us,” Jones said. “But [Friday] felt really good. We had a nice balance, strong. One went and got it, the other went away, we backed each other up. He’s a good pal of mine, Kel. We said afterwards how nice it felt. It was a long time coming.”

Jones admitted Friday was “do or bust” given United’s four-point deficit at start of play. Exeter’s defeat to Crawley created the latest opportunity and this time the Blues took it. It is now about building some belated momentum – and also, Jones insists, learning from the side they have just beaten.

“They [Lincoln] are not anything glamorous on the eye, but they’re top of the league and already promoted because they are organised and efficient,” he said. “Sometimes it doesn’t take anything special to get out of this league. We’ve probably been super on the eye sometimes without that grit and ruthlessness.”

Qualities which will be needed again in spades at Blundell Park. Jones, who believes Carlisle should be “back in League One, minimum”, asked supporters to “stick with us” as they try to reach the play-offs as the side in form.

“We’ve had many challenges – this is the business and of the season and there is pressure, whatever…you’ve got to enjoy and embrace it. We need to go to Grimsby and back it up. It doesn’t matter who the opposition is, we need wins, otherwise everyone’s on our tail.

“We can’t afford to slip up. We’re going there to win.” No chickening out, in other words.