Last updated 13:14, Thursday, 27 November 2008

David Raven admits he’s looking forward to getting the job done against Grays Athletic at the third time of asking this weekend.

David Raven

United return to Essex on Saturday for their rearranged FA Cup first round replay, which has the early kick-off time of 1pm to guard against a repeat of last Tuesday’s floodlight farce.

Defender Raven and his United team-mates were trailing 1-0 when one of the lights went out at the New Recreation Ground, forcing the Blues and their fans to make another 660-mile round trip.

Raven said: “It was a bit of a shambles, really.

“I’ve never experienced that kind of thing before, apart from maybe when I was at school in the rugby team.

“When you go all the way down there and have to come all the way back without finishing a game, it’s a nightmare.

“I’m just looking forward to getting the game done and hopefully getting us into the second round.”

A home tie against Crewe next Wednesday awaits United if they can finally see off Wayne Burnett's Blue Square Premier strugglers, who held the Blues 1-1 at Brunton Park to force the protracted replay.

But former Liverpool man Raven says the Cumbrians can’t entertain thoughts of the Railwaymen - or a potential plum draw in the third round - until they have accounted for Grays.

“They will come flying at us like they did the last time, and we’ve got to be ready to cope with that,” said the right-back.

“We’re not really used to the small stadiums like their and those sort of players - it’s a totally different game of football to what we’re used to in the league.

“But we’ve just got to deal with it and hopefully get through this time.”

Raven admitted Carlisle’s last-gasp defeat at Millwall on Tuesday night was tough to take, but is adamant Greg Abbott’s players will be able to pick themselves up quickly for the weekend cup tie.

The caretaker boss is likely to turn to Ben Williams and Evan Horwood in place of loan duo Tim Krul and Michael Liddle, neither of whom were registered in time to play in the cup’s first round.

On the midweek defeat in London, Raven said: “We knew it was going to be a tough place to go, and when you think you’re going to hold out and get a point, it’s tough when it ends the way it did.

“Millwall played well, they probably came off the pitch and say they shaded it, but you expect that from a home team at that kind of place. We defended well throughout the game and it’s disappointing to have come away with nothing.

“But we’ll be fine. We’ve taken some heavier beatings than that this season and we have come back from them. The lads gave their all and we know we can compete with teams like Millwall. We're not scared of them.”

Raven also had strong opinions on the second-half challenge by home striker Gary Alexander which left Blues centre-half Richard Keogh requiring stitches to an eye injury.

“The Lions frontman only received a yellow card but Raven echoed Abbott’s post-match claims that he should have seen red.

“I had a good view of it and it looked like he led with his elbow, which you can’t do in the modern game,” said Raven.

“I thought it was a red card. He (Alexander) was trying to say he isn’t that sort of player, but it doesn’t matter, you don’t lead with your elbow and he’s left Keogh with some stitches.

“Maybe if it had happened at our place he would have got sent off.”