McAllister said: "The ugly side of our game was missing the other night. We didn't win any headers or tackles or ugly bouncy balls, Carlisle were first to most. But we reversed it tonight.
"And you know what I feel about Jon Howson. He's been an ever-present since I arrived and he's a young man with great potential.
"We keep drip-feeding him information so as not to try and stifle him. He's got a lot of raw energy and power, so we're just going to try and protect him and make him progress as a footballer."