Carlisle City boss reacts to Fred Conway Cumberland Cup triumph
City got the better of Northern League Division One rivals Penrith by winning the final 1-0 at Brunton Park.
Jordan Irving's impressive goal secured the 2024/25 trophy for City as Kirkup's first season in charge ended with silverware.
The delighted manager told the News & Star: 'I thought it was a really tight game – everything we expected to be fair.
'The two league games have been so tight and we were due a little bit of the rub of the green to go for us.
'I thought we were the better team. We had the better chances. Like I said last time they beat us, karma always comes back to bite you in football and it certainly did here.
'I'm really pleased for the boys. Everyone put a shift in. Fair play to Penrith, they gave as good as they got and matched us all the way.
'I'm really happy. It's what you play for in football, isn't it – end of season cup finals like this? We had our cup final and we've come out on top.'
READ MORE: Match report from Carlisle City's county cup final victory against Penrith
Penrith had good first half chances before City came on stronger after the break – and man-of-the-match Irving then struck the decisive blow with a superb strike from the left that dipped over opposition keeper Aaran Taylor.
'I said at half time there was going to be one goal in it – it was really nip and tick and I felt it was going to take a mistake or something a little bit special,' added Kirkup.
'We got that special something from Jordan Irving which won us the game.
'I don't think we came under too much pressure in the last ten minutes. I was expecting the kitchen sink to come at us like it did in the home game in the league, but it didn't, really.
'I thought we coped with what got thrown at us pretty well.'
City got the better of Penrith to lift the trophy (Image: Barbara Abbott)
City grew stronger as the game went on and Kirkup said a change of approach after the break helped his side win the cup for the first time since 2022.
'Callum Birdsall started the game after having not played for four weeks – he wasn't fit, he played on pretty much one leg but I wanted him there, he's our main man and I thought if we had a chance of winning we need him there,' said Kirkup.
'But actually when he went off [early in the second half] I thought we turned into a little bit of a better team because we put a bit more pace up front and I thought we really hurt them with balls in behind, rather than going into Callum which I think they were quite comfortable with.
Fred Conway Cumberland Cup final - as it happened!
'They were big lads at the back and I don't think they like [opponents] running in behind.
'Credit to everyone, I'm pleased for everyone at the football club. It's been a tough season, there's no getting away from that in the league.
'We had our cup final and it sort of papers over a creaky season. But if you'd asked me at the start of the season if we could finish where we did [18th] and win a cup I would have snapped your hand off.'
On the cup success after his first campaign in charge after succeeding Jim Nichols at the City helm, Kirkup said: 'Some people in management never really win a thing, so to win a major competition like this is really pleasing.
'It's for everyone at the club. There's a lot of unseen work behind the scenes – the players sometimes just have to turn up and play and they don't appreciate what goes into it.
'Nights like that are for the people who run the club and they'll enjoy it.'
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