Carlisle United boss Mark Hughes refuses to give Harrogate Town any credit for winning crunch clash

Sulphurites winger Ellis Taylor’s 95th-minute volley was deflected, rather fortuitously, into the Cumbrians’ net by visiting substitute Josh Vela, settling a poor game that looked destined to end goalless.

And while Hughes was understandably disappointed by the cruel nature of his own team’s defeat, the former Manchester City and Wales manager was far from complimentary about Town’s style of play, insisting that the better side lost a match billed as a ‘relegation six-pointer’.

“I thought that we played well enough to win the game,” the ex-Manchester United and Barcelona forward said. “I thought that we had some good chances that just never dropped to the right people.

“In no way did I think that they [Harrogate] were the better team. I thought that we were always the side that was trying to be progressive, trying to get on the ball and trying to make things happen rather than just clearing our lines and getting up behind it.

“Harrogate make it a scrappy game. The way that they play, they bang it in behind and just chase after things and try and keep it alive and hope for the best. It has worked for them today, but for the most part, I don’t think that Gabe [Breeze] has had a shot to save.

“We didn’t deserve that. Overall, I thought that we were the side that looked the more likely. We certainly didn’t deserve to lose - that’s the reality.”

On the moment which decided the game deep in stoppage-time, just seconds after Carlisle’s Archie Davies had been denied by a fine James Belshaw save, Hughes added: “They have just been able to get a shot off. It’s actually going wide of the goal and gets deflected.

“It goes in the net and there’s nothing you can do about it.

“It certainly wasn’t deserved. Only moments prior to the goal, we had almost scored ourselves, so it is a tough one to take.

“Harrogate have had that slice of luck right at the end, and we haven’t.”

Saturday’s result sees Town move 11 points clear of the relegation zone, while Hughes and Carlisle remain rooted to the foot of the table and now find themselves six points from safety following 22nd-placed Tranmere’s home win against Bromley.

Victory for Harrogate also means that they are now unbeaten in eight League Two fixtures with the Cumbrians, of which they have won five.

Indeed, the Sulphurites have come out on top in seven of 11 league and cup meetings with Carlisle since they were promoted to the Football League in the summer of 2020.

Their only loss came in an EFL Trophy group-stage tie back in November 2023, at a time when United were playing their football a division higher in League One.