Nerves are jangling at Brunton Park as Carlisle need two wins from their last two games to clinch promotion to the Championship. The Cumbrians looked almost certain to join Swansea back in the second tier of football but a run of one point from the last three games has allowed Doncaster and Nottingham Forest to close the gap. Fixtures against Millwall and Bournemouth won't be easy as both sides are involved in a relegation scrap but Keiren Westwood is confident there will be a party in Carlisle come May 3. United's goalkeeper has enjoyed a storming season that has seen him recognised as the 2-UP PFA Fans' Player of the Month for March. Westwood joined the club back in the Conference in 2004 and has racked up nearly 150 games during three seasons of success. Givemefootball's Ian Clarkson caught up with the 23-year-old for an exclusive interview about their tense finale to the campaign.
Q:WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN THE 2-UP PFA FANS' PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR MARCH?
A:When I won it I admit my initial reaction was what's that for? As I hadn't heard of the award previously. However, it is a fantastic award to win and I am genuinely honoured to receive it as it has been voted for by supporters. Not only is it Carlisle fans who can vote but away supporters too and it is nice to get that recognition. I can't thank people enough as it isn't just one person who votes but the general public.
Q:YOU ARE CURRENTLY SECOND AND STILL IN POLE POSITION FOR PROMOTION ALONGSIDE SWANSEA – WAS THAT EXPECTED AT THE START OF THE CAMPAIGN?
A:It has been a great season for us. Where we are presently is probably above everyone's expectations at the start of the season but we intend to take it with both hands. I'd like to think that Carlisle could sustain a club in the Championship and the average age of the squad is only around 24 so we have a lot of time on our side.
Q:IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE FOUR SEASONS HASN'T IT?
A:When you think that four or five of the current team were playing in the Conference (Blue Square Premier) four seasons ago it shows that we have come a long way together. There is a big difference between the Conference and League One. When we came up we managed to win League Two but reached the LDV Vans Trophy (Johnstone’s Paints) Final and played against Swansea who were towards the top of League One at the time. For the first 20 minutes it was wow! They seemed miles away from us but we have progressed each year and improved.
Q:HOW HAVE YOU FOUND WORKING WITH THE MANAGER JOHN WARD SINCE HIS ARRIVAL EARLIER IN THE SEASON?
A:I have got a lot of respect and time for the manager. He is a good man who says the right things to players. He treats everyone equally, which is the best thing a manager can do at a football club.
Q:YOU HAVE KEPT A FEW CLEAN SHEETS THIS YEAR HAVEN'T YOU?
A:We have kept 17 clean sheets in the League and one in the cup but I am not taking all the credit! We have had a pretty settled back four with Zigor Aranalde, David Raven, Danny Livesey and Peter Murphy all playing their part. Evan Horwood has played about the last 20 games in place of Zigor too and there has been a lot of continuity as Zigor joined in League Two whilst Danny and Peter were with us in the Conference. We all seem to complement each other well.
Q:IT IS GETTING A BIT TIGHT AT THE TOP AFTER PICKING UP JUST ONE POINT IN YOUR LAST THREE GAMES ISN'T IT?
A:We did have six point cushion but we are still two points ahead so it is all in our own hands. People have said we were wobbling after the defeats to Southend and Leeds but Doncaster can't afford to make any errors chasing us and the pressure is definitely on them. The city is absolutely buzzing and the fans have been spoilt over the last few years and expect us to keep winning, which is good. This will be our third promotion in four seasons if we pull it off and it all seems a bit mad when you sit back and think about it.
Q:HOW FAR CAN THIS CARLISLE SIDE GO?
A:You never know. After we won the Conference everyone said 'let's consolidate' but we went on to blitz the league and won promotion straight away. In our first season in League One we said the same thing and reached the play-offs whilst this year we are hopefully going to take it one step further. You sometimes have to take a step back and think 'what's going on!' We have developed a winning mentality with a young set of lads and hopefully this club can carry on moving in the right direction.
