Greg Abbott's Carlisle United side have now lost their last four matches

Carlisle United boss Greg Abbott has admitted that the Cumbrians' FA Cup exit at Torquay United is a missed opportunity in financial terms.

In failing to make the fourth round, and a home tie with Crawley Town or Derby County, the Cumbrians also missed out on £7,500 in prize money.

"It has cost us a financial draw and it has cost us a financial gain for this round," Abbott told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"The FA Cup is a springboard to find some revenue and we haven't done it."

Abbott added: "I would say that the club as a whole will suffer. How badly that is, I don't know."

Carlisle are now 17th in League One, still just five points off the play-off places, but Saturday's defeat was the Cumbrians' fourth in succession.

In fairness, that run was preceded by a streak of five wins in eight games, including the impressive 3-1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday in November's Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie and victory over in-form Southampton at Brunton Park.

"I wasn't too bothered about the praise. I am bothered about the criticism," said Abbott. "But I know that there is a group of players there, a core of players that are better than they have shown today and the players know that.

"Every defeat you take confidence gets knocked, pressure builds and things get harder to come by.

"They are going to have to face that because we have got ourselves into a little bit of a pickle, and we have got to get out of it quickly."

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