'We've got to be ready for Accrington' - Pressure building on Carlisle United boss ahead of huge tie

"I thought the standards were not good enough".

That was how head coach Mike Williamson described Carlisle United's loss against a Morecambe side who leapfrogged them into 23rd place in League Two on Boxing Day.

The 1-0 loss leaves the Blues four points adrift of Accrington Stanley, the team sitting immediately above the relegation zone.

It's just three wins in 21 league games for a club that was relegated from League One last season and had high hopes of a return to the third tier.

Speaking to the club's media following the Morecambe defeat, Mike Williamson said: “I thought the standards were not good enough. I thought in a game that carried a lot of pressure, it was obviously going to be a cagey start.

“I thought we started the game reasonably well in a game that had nothing really in it. We entered the box a few times but I think we missed a couple of opportunities and then that really affected us and I thought after that from top to bottom, yeah it wasn't good enough.”

The Shrimps arguably had the best chance of the first half when a loose pass from Ben Barclay gifted the ball to the away side inside his own box with little more than five minutes until the interval.

Frustration at the mistake could be felt around the stadium as boos rang out when Ben Tollitt's drilled cross whistled past two onrushing Morecambe players and the far post.

The Blues' best opportunity of the half had come 10 minutes earlier when a Dominic Sadi effort from just inside the box was saved well down to the keeper's right.

Mike Williamson believes his side paid the price for missed chances.

“I think because of where we are in the emotion, I just think that they're crippled with that anxiety and I think it takes away from our focus and that's where we're at," he said.

“I can't make excuses for that performance. They're hurting and they're down and they've got big hearts but it's not correlating in terms of quality on the pitch and execution, and yeah we didn't take our chances.

"I think it took the wind out of our sails and that framed the game, which is disappointing."

Morecambe took the lead on the hour mark through Gwion Edwards, resulting in another chorus of boos from the home supporters.

Marcus Dackers beat Sam Lavelle down the left before pulling the ball back to the Morecambe attacker who was left free in the box to tap it home via the knee of Jon Mellish.

Down to 10

Shortly after the restart the Blues were down to 10 men as a late Mellish challenge was deemed to be a red card offence.

“The ref said late and forceful which it was but it was not a sending-off," said Mike Williamson.

"I was right in front of it and I thought he was going to book him. It was frustration.

"It was off the back of being frustrated and we've given him a decision to make which we spoke at half-time about being professional, making sure that we don't hand anything over but it was the wrong call. We’ll be appealing it 100%.”

The Shrimps almost doubled their lead with one minute of normal time to play. A cross from the left was pulled back to Paul Lewis, whose effort was saved from six yards out.

Angry chants

Addressing angry chants directed at him, Mike Williamson replied: “I get it yeah, I fully get it. We weren't good enough so yeah we look at ourselves.

"I always have to take full responsibility because that's the only way of going about it and coming in trying to get the boys up in a real difficult situation again.

"Yeah I've been in situations like this before, for me it doesn't change my focus, I know what we've got, I know what's at this football club and I know we've got more than what it takes to get out of it but right now yeah it's difficult and I completely understand what the fans are saying.”

Crucial game

Attention now turns to a crucial game at home to Accrington Stanley on Sunday.

"I can't downplay it," Mike Williamson said.

"For me, there's a lot of points to play for. The only thing we can do is respond in terms of getting our recovery and watching it back which is going to be more pain, but we've got a quick turnaround.

“It’s about saying to the boys that no matter what we're feeling right now we've got an obligation to each other, to the football club and to ourselves to be in the best position for the Accrington game.”