Coach Mark Birch admitted Carlisle United did not do themselves justice against Carlisle City and must take responsibility for the Cumberland Cup semi-final defeat.

A Blues team featuring several professionals were beaten 2-1 by their Northern League Division Two hosts.

It saw a host of United players fail to take the opportunity to impress manager Paul Simpson, who was watching from the stand at Gillford Park.

While Jim Nichols’ City progressed to a final against Wetheriggs United, the Blues’ under-18 coach Birch said his side played into the home team’s hands.

City came from behind after trailing to a Tyrese Omotoye goal at the break to knock the holders out of the competition.

Birch said: “In the second half I don’t think we played in their half enough. We didn’t get the ball into the vital areas of the game, didn’t get them on the back foot enough, we didn’t turn them, we played in front of them.

“That’s what teams at this level – and full credit to them – want you to do. They don’t want you to play in behind them, they want it in front of them, where they can see everything, see where everybody is.

“In the first half we put some good passages of play together especially down the left hand side. If you get success doing something in a game, you’ve got to keep doing it and keep doing it right to the end.

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“We had a lot of pros on the pitch. Only they know whether it’s complacency or not. We never got that head of steam going, never got any tempo in the game.

“When the ball was going out for throw-ins, in the first half we had somebody there getting the ball in play as quick as possible, always putting them on the back foot.

“In the second half when balls went out of play we didn’t get there quick enough and allowed them to get back behind the ball.

“Fair play to them. You have to take a bit of responsibility yourselves for the way the second half went.”

Omotoye shot United ahead on 33 minutes before Jordan Holt levelled for City on the hour mark.

Carlisle sub Charlie Watt was then shown two yellow cards in the space of eight minutes, the second coming for the challenge on Jordan Palmer which led to City’s winning penalty, scored by Jordan Irving.

Birch said: “Personally l don’t think it is a penalty… if anything I think he [Palmer] has kicked Charlie Watt, but these things happen and at the end of the day we can’t go round blaming the ref.

“We don’t think it was the right decision but there was a lot more wrong in our own play in the second half without blaming the referee.”

On teenager Watt’s dismissal, Birch added: “He’s got to learn. The thing is, with Charlie, is he going to learn from these things?

“He’s had his fair share of yellow cards now and there comes a time where things have got to sink in with him.”

Simpson was at Gillford Park to watch the game, while United first-team players Dynel Simeu and Tobi Sho-Silva were also in the stand.

Birch said the opportunity had been there for players to catch the manager's eye.

Other pros to start the game included Magnus Norman, Mitch Roberts, Lewis Alessandra, Owen Windsor, Josh Dixon and fit-again Gime Toure, who made his first appearance since October.

Birch added: “Before the game we said, ‘Which one of the players in that dressing room will be the one to catch the manager’s and the fans’ [eyes], the one people on social media are gonna talk about in the right way at the end of the game?

“Football’s all about opportunity, and grasping opportunity. If you’re not in the team, and the first team are on a good run of form at the minute, then whether it’s getting in the team if there’s injuries or being the manager’s first substitute, you’ve got to put yourselves at the front of his mind.

“These lads are trying to get in the first team, but you’ve got to realise that’s football – at some stage you end up playing in these games and you’ve got to conduct yourself properly on the pitch, play to the standards all the time, because it means a lot to these lads, this game, this competition, to Carlisle City.

"It’s got to mean the same to our lads as well.”

Birch complimented Carlisle City on the victory and added: “Credit to them – they played their game, did exactly what they wanted to, caught us with a sucker punch.

“When they had to they whacked the ball out of play, made the game dead, we couldn’t get any steam going in the game and fair play to them, full credit to them as a team – they’ve come and they’ve done a job.”