Keith Curle believes Hartlepool United supporters were ‘let down’ by performance against Carlisle United

Pools couldn’t capitalise on the momentum gained by their win over Doncaster Rovers in midweek as they slipped to their first defeat under interim manager Keith Curle.

For Curle, his disappointment on Saturday stemmed from a feeling his side had let their home supporters down on a sunny autumn afternoon at the Suit Direct Stadium.

Curle said: “I’m disappointed because they [the fans] played their part today. They turned up in their numbers and they were vocal. We let them down today because we didn’t run that extra yard that I know is there because it was there on Tuesday.

“We need that level of consistency where we bring that every week.”

Pools went into the break one goal to the good, courtesy of Alex Lacey’s strike, but couldn’t hold on for their second win of the week.

Curle believes that their opponents simply did the basics better than his side and that his players could have put more into the game to ensure a positive result.

Curle said: “If you have a look at their goals, they put the ball in good areas and turned our defence. That’s what we were trying to do today.

“I don’t think it’s difficult to ask a player to put the ball into a good area and ask another to run after it but today, we just couldn’t do that.

“On Tuesday night it was there, we ran and chased things and we were a yard in-front of the Doncaster players and today, we were a yard behind.

“I’ll look at that, assess it. I’ll do what I always do where I’ll have a hot chocolate and watch the game back and make my assessment.

“The players know I am disappointed and the players know that I’m unhappy but I won’t shout and scream at them, but they understand that I’m disappointed because they weren't able to replicate what they did on Tuesday.

“Everybody enjoyed Tuesday, everybody enjoyed emptying their tanks and putting the battle in. Today, we have walked off the pitch and I don’t think we have emptied the tank.”