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Fleetwood Town 0-0 Blackpool: Fylde coast rivals play out nervy draw in Neil Critchley's first game in charge
Fleetwood Town and Blackpool played out a nervy goalless draw in Neil Critchley’s first game in charge.
It was a typical game of two halves in this Fylde coast clash, the Seasiders dominant in the opening 45 minutes courtesy of their relentless pressing.
Nathan Delfouneso squandered their big chance, failing to hit the target after the ball was played back to him 10 yards from goal, while Joe Nuttall was also guilty of a miss late on.
But Fleetwood were the better side in the second half, Paddy Madden heading narrowly wide with their most clear-cut opportunity.
But a both sides were forced to settle for a point, a result that was fair on reflection of the 90 minutes.
Critchley was forced into making one change to his Blackpool side after Ollie Turton was ruled out through illness.
He was replaced by Ben Heneghan, who returned to the fold after serving his three-match suspension for his straight red card in the defeat at Bristol Rovers.
Armand Gnanduillet returned from a hamstring injury to take his place on the bench, but Jak Alnwick (arm) and Sullay Kaikai (groin/abductor) remain sidelined.
With Fleetwood boss Joey Barton watching on from the stands serving the second game of his touchline ban, it was the Seasiders who threatened first.
Nathan Delfouneso did well to lay the ball off to Connor Ronan inside the Fleetwood box, the on-loan Wolves man seeing his curling shot well claimed by Fleetwood keeper Alex Cairns.
A minute later Cairns was beaten by Matty Virtue’s low shot as the midfielder ran onto Gary Madine’s lay-off, but unfortunately for the Seasiders his shot flew agonisingly wide of the bottom corner.
With Pool fans taunting their Fleetwood counterparts with a chant of “you were there at Wembley”, the Seasiders threatened again as Ronan tried his luck with an ambitious looping effort from 40 yards which wasn’t a million miles away from creeping under Cairns’ crossbar.
Critchley’s impact was clear, the Seasiders often hunting down the Fleetwood players in twos and threes as soon as they received the ball to feet.
For all of Pool’s dominance the game remained goalless, although that ought to have changed on the half-hour mark.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall split Fleetwood’s defence with a superb crossfield pass to Calum Macdonald, whose cutback to Nathan Delfouneso was blazed over the crossbar.
Pool, who remained a yard sharper across the pitch, threatened again when Macdonald side-footed wide from Ronan’s pinpoint ball.
Fleetwood had some half-hearted penalty appeals waved away on the stroke of half time as McKay went down in the box looking for a spot kick, but nothing was given.
The Seasiders were forced into a change in the first minute of the second half when Madine indicated he wasn’t fit enough to continue as he clutched his neck.
Joe Nuttall, fresh from his stoppage-time winner against Ipswich Town last week, was the man to replace him.
The home side began to see more of the ball at the start of the second half, Paddy Madden delivering a dangerous ball into Blackpool’s box that Macdonald did well to head clear.
Barton’s men carved a good opening for themselves on 54 minutes when Lewie Coyle was allowed the time and space to deliver a cross in from the right.
It was a superb delivery from the right-back, Coyle putting the ball on a plate for Madden who headed narrowly over.
The hosts were presented with a shooting opportunity on the hourmark when they were gifted a 30-yard free kick after Ben Heneghan was penalised for a foul on Callum Connolly.
Danny Andrew’s attempt was straight into the Blackpool wall before Barrie McKay blazed well over on the rebound.
Fleetwood were becoming an increasingly bigger threat on the counter, Wes Burns almost getting in behind James Husband only for the Pool defender to recover well.
The hosts worked the ball to substitute Ched Evans down the right who skipped past Macdonald before blazing high and wide.
At the other end, Delfouneso allowed Liam Feeney’s pullback to roll across his body in the six-yard box but a Fleetwood defender got across well to clear.
With 10 minutes remaining and the game hanging in the balance, the Seasiders turned to top scorer Gnanduillet for a late winner.
But it was his strike partner Nuttall who ought to have made the breakthrough a minute or so later, the striker missing from a matter of yards.
Dewsbury-Hall delivered a powerful corner to the striker at the near post but Nuttall failed to make a clean connection, eventually seeing the ball bounce off his shoulder and over.
With three minutes remaining, Danny Andrew went sprawling in the Blackpool box looking for a penalty but the referee emphatically waved away the appeals.
Neither side were able to muster up any late opportunities, with the two sides fairly satisfied to settle for the point.
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 17:13 - Mar 7 with 233 views
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) March 7, 2020
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 17:57 - Mar 7 with 225 views
Some of the referee’s and linesman’s decisions were pretty diabolical. They seemed to turn a blind eye to lots of fouls on Pool players and react to anything in favour of Fleetwood. Oh and if I were husband, I’d feel pretty hard done to.
We’ve got Simon Sadler
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 18:29 - Mar 7 with 219 views
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 18:31 - Mar 7 with 216 views
— BBC Sport Lancashire (@BBCLancsSport) March 7, 2020
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 18:32 - Mar 7 with 214 views
— BBC Sport Lancashire (@BBCLancsSport) March 7, 2020
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 18:35 - Mar 7 with 213 views
IF, and it's a big "if" at the moment, he's planning on a high pressing game, then he'll need a full pre season to work on their fitness (and some new midfielders to replace the loans when they go back).
Patience is the key. Good start, clean sheet and point away from home to that lot.
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 18:43 - Mar 7 with 209 views
Sounds like a few missed chances held us back. Promising though that we seemed to be pushing forward and were generally more motivated. And we didn’t concede
when the monkey is high you do not stare you do not stare 🥴
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 18:54 - Mar 7 with 201 views
Promising signs for Neil Critchley as Blackpool play out goalless draw at Fleetwood Town in his first game in charge
Neil Critchley believes there were some promising signs from Blackpool as his side played out a goalless draw against Fleetwood Town in his first game in charge.
Fleetwood were the better side in the second half, however, and eventually the two teams were both satisfied to settle for a draw.
Reflecting on his first game in charge, Critchley said: “I was really impressed with the team, especially in the first half.
“I thought we were the team in control of the game in that half and were in their half a lot, although we probably didn’t quite turn that territory and that domination into clear-cut opportunities - although we had one or two.
“Second half we had less control and I’d have liked us to have been a bit better.
“But I have to say I thought we defended superbly well throughout the game and for a team that is in such good form, we restricted them to very few chances throughout.
“Generally over the 90 minutes I’m really pleased with how the players played.
“We looked very solid.
“First half we were on the front foot and we were playing in their half and we protected our attacks really well, so we stopped them from getting out.
“I thought our shape and what we had worked on looked really good.
“Second half when the ball was flying forward we had to defend a lot of longer balls and they turned us and won free kicks and corners, but we stood up to it really well.
“That wasn’t just the defenders, that was the midfielders picking up second balls and the strikers holding the ball up and allowing us to get out.
“Again, if I’ve got one small criticism I think we could have passed the ball and kept the ball a little bit better in the second half.
“That would have allowed us to get up the pitch a bit better and take their momentum away from them a little bit.”
Critchley added: “It was difficult conditions and I think you could see the impact of that - first half it was us, second half it was probably more of them.
“But we coped with the conditions very well throughout the whole game.
“We saw two committed teams on the pitch and some good players as well.
“I did say before the game there wouldn’t be a lot in it, I thought it would come down to fine margins or that little bit of luck. It didn’t go for either team.”
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 19:40 - Mar 7 with 187 views
Fleetwood Town head coach Joey Barton spoke to the media after his sides 0-0 draw with Blackpool on Saturday 7 March at Highbury.
The visitors were the better side in the first period, with the wind very much playing in their favour, whilst Fleetwood had the better of the second period, including a header from Paddy Madden which went agonisingly wide after a superb cross from Lewie Coyle.
Here is what Barton had to say:
On the game…
“It was a typical kind of derby match really with both sides cancelled each other out. If anything, in the first period, they were probably slightly ahead of us in terms of intensity, although we had more possession. We didn’t really hurt them or cause them any severe problems.
“We adjusted at half-time, and I thought that getting the bit of wind that was out there behind us, we were the better side. A draw was probably a fair result on reflection, if you can’t win them then certainly don’t lose them.
“It is another clean sheet to go for the team which is a positive, and maybe on another day, Paddy Madden’s header hits the back of the net.
“It keeps the run going and now it is one defeat in 17 matches. We are unbeaten in 11 and it keeps that points tally moving forward."
On adapting to the situation in hand…
“Whether it was a combination of a pitch that looks like it’s in need of severe help, because it was absolutely battered by storms A,B,C,D,E,F and whatever we are on now, Jorge last time I heard. To be fair to the groundsman, Nicky and his team have done a phenomenal job in keeping the games on it and making it playable.
“It’s a bit flat and it’s a bit slow because they have had to drain it so much, and they are doing an admirable job. Unfortunately for us, a slow, soft pitch doesn’t benefit the type of football that we want to play.
“Blackpool defended well as a team today, I think we were the same at our end. There was two very organised and disciplined defences today, who cancelled out each other’s attack.
“We probably shaded the balance of chances in the second-half, but also we have got to play better. We have got to improve in the final third. We need a little bit more of box action, we want to create more in front of our fans."
On the Thoughts going into Portsmouth…
“In the last ten fixtures, we have got ten cup finals starting at the most difficult place to go in our league which is Portsmouth.
“They are unbeaten at home and we are next to them in the league, so if we can go down there and do what we have been doing on our travels, being hard to beat, it should be a good game.
“For us it is all about the next game. Three points are on offer, and as a group we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves. If you do that, then you probably get your comeuppance in this game.
“We have got to recover superbly now. We were not at our best today but we will be back stronger when we are back in front of our fans.”
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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Fleetwood Town Post Match Thread on 06:34 - Mar 8 with 164 views
Neil Critchley explains why Gary Madine was brought off during Blackpool's goalless draw against Fleetwood
Neil Critchley says a stiff neck was the reason behind Gary Madine being brought off in Blackpool's goalless draw against Fleetwood Town yesterday.
The striker emerged for the start of the second half at Highbury on Saturday but only lasted a minute.
The 29-year-old, who held his neck as he trudged off the pitch, was replaced by Joe Nuttall.
On Madine's withdrawal, Critchley said: “His neck just stiffened up at half time, it was really unfortunate.
“As soon as he got to the pitch in the second half it was quite clear he wasn’t going to be able to carry on.
“We missed him a little bit because we missed his ability to hold the ball up and bring other players into play.
“But I thought Joe Nuttall was a real handful and a threat when he came on and Armand Gnanduillet as well at the end.
“I thought the subs made a difference to us.”
The Seasiders delivered a strong display in what was Critchley's first game in charge.
Pool were the dominant side in the first half, catching the eye with their intensity and pressing on the front foot.
But Fleetwood were the better side in the second half, coming close through Paddy Madden's header.
But other than that, Blackpool keeper Chris Maxwell was given a quiet afternoon as he eased to a clean sheet.
“We protected him really well," Critchley added.
“Coming up against a team that is in fantastic form and are unbeaten in 11, to come here and keep a clean sheet and protect Maxi the way we did, I was really pleased with the spirit and the organisation and effort of the players - I thought it was outstanding.”
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
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