Three days on...

Three days on and the fallout from the 3-1 loss at Carlisle is beginning to settle. I have been able to see the goals from the game and I am unhappy; the penalty appeal against Sam Sodje which was turned down but which I think lead to the referee bottling it and awarding one from the resulting corner, was never a penalty. Sodje went up with their man who got underneath him and made a meal of it.

The 'penalty' decision itself was an absolute joke. As the ball comes over and players begin their runs, one of our players bumps one of theirs as they both go near post. It was 50-50, both stay on their feet and the ball by-passes the pair of them. Referee Haywood blows before the ball lands. An appalling decision and one that was worth getting sent to the stands for. Our penalty minutes later looked on the edge of the box to me but it I am sure we got it because Haywood had been thinking about what he had done, especially in light of the abuse aimed at him by Phil Parkinson.

As for Kavanagh's goals, I didn't think the first strike was as good or as unstoppable as portrayed on the radio. It wasn't that hard a strike and it went through a crowd of players. Ikeme was very close to it and might have expected to get a hand to it on another day. Kavanagh's second was far better but the damage had already been done by then.

If the Carlisle games serves to give us that extra bit of backbone for the forthcoming Cup games and a point to prove when we face the MK Dons, then it won't be the end of the world, but we must see an improvement in attitude across the pitch and more responsibility than at Brunton Park.

As far as the decision to play Ikeme is concerned, Ketts on Dr Kish makes a good point about Parky's possible rationale here; with Ikeme unable to play in the F A Cup on Sunday, the risk of injury to Randolph at Carlisle would have left us without a keeper. It will be interesting to see who gets the shout for the Southampton and MK Dons games.

I see that the Premier League is questioning the transfer of Michael Turner from Hull to Sunderland. It would seem that Brentford and, possibly Charlton, have complained about the lack of sell-on payments. The deal was rumoured to have been worth £12m but a far lower figure of nearer £4m is being talked about which would obviously result in far smaller sell-ons. I can understand why both Hull and Sunderland might have wanted to talk-up the rumoured fee; Sunderland because it looks ambitious and Hull because it supports the decision to sell their best player. As I understand it the fee was undisclosed, so I am left wondering whether it's a case of sour grapes for League One clubs?

Finally, the premature sacking by Brighton of Russell Slade after only eight months - they are fourth bottom but have been improving and created plenty of chances in their 3-3 home draw with Hartlepool on Saturday - has seen our own Steve Brown elevated from the Youth team boss to Assistant Manager with Charlie Oatway. Martin Hinshelwood, their Director of Football (do they really need one?) is in charge temporarily with Steve Coppell supposedly in the frame, but shows that Brownie might have something about him as far as management is concerned.