Greg Abbott refused to be downbeat after Carlisle lost to Sheffield Wednesday and believes there will be more twists in the play-off race.
Michail Antonio won it for Wednesday in the fifth minute of injury time after James Berrett looked to have earned a point for the Cumbrians with a half-volley to cancel out Chris Lines' scuffed opener.
"I'm so disappointed for the group but there's optimism for the future and if we don't quite make it this year we have to build again and make it next year," said Abbott, whose side are three points adrift of sixth-placed Stevenage.
"But if we win two games you never know. There'll be twists and turns, you didn't expect Notts County to get beat earlier but they have. I think Sheffield United got beaten as well, you didn't expect it but they have.
"Wigan beat some small club the other week - was it Manchester United? So it happens to us all."
Abbott added: "We defended for our lives and that's the only way we were going to get something out of the game and I thought, for that alone, we probably deserved that point."
