Dawes: Blackpool confident ahead of Sunderland clash

Posted Sunday, February 10, 2019 by PA

First-team coach Ian Dawes insists Blackpool are at full tilt ahead of Tuesday’s clash at Sunderland after watching his side beat struggling Walsall 2-0.

Chris Long and Harry Pritchard scored either side of the break while Walsall’s Matt Jarvis had a penalty saved by Mark Howard with the score at 1-0.

Blackpool remain four points outside the play-off places and head to the Stadium of Light knowing another win is vital to their promotion hopes.

Dawes said: “We’ve got to go into the game at Sunderland on Tuesday with confidence.

“We’ve got nothing to lose, they are under a lot of pressure being at home and I am confident we will perform again.

“We haven’t won over the last few at home but I think the performances were there and we just had to remain confident that we would turn the draws into wins.

“In the end I thought we deserved the three points. Starting the game well was something we addressed in training. We needed to start brightly and we needed to make sure they understood what type of game they were in.

“I thought for the first 30 minutes we were outstanding. We went 1-0 up and I thought we deserved it and possibly could have gone 2-0 up.

“Walsall came back into the game and we expected that – they are fighting and they are a team that don’t lie down and they had a right good go.”

At the opposite end of the table, Walsall are only two points above the drop zone, although boss Dean Keates was pleased with aspects of their display.

However, they were chasing from the 14th minute when Long steered a slow shot across Liam Roberts.

Jarvis had a chance to level from the spot but his shot was saved by Mark Howard and Blackpool made him pay, with Pritchard capitalising on a defensive error and planting his shot into the corner.

Keates said: “After the first 20 minutes, I thought we grew into the game. We had opportunities in the first half. And then in the second half we were camped in their half, and got caught out at the end.

“It’s a tough one to take. Jarvis has took the penalty and the keeper has gone early and made a good save. It hits him and spins out the other side of the goal, I think that’s where our luck is at the moment.

“We’ve got a massive game for this football club now on Tuesday night. It’s the biggest game of the season. We are not in great form – one win in 11 – but Wimbledon aren’t in great form themselves.

“We have to get some points and steady the ship.

“First quarter of the season, outstanding. Second quarter, nowhere near good enough. We are going into a 15-game season and we need to make sure we are giving this football club every chance of being in League One next season.

“There are going to be no more additions to the squad and we have to find it in ourselves. It’s about characters and about people standing up to the plate to be counted.”