Matt Bloomfield hopes Wycombe improvement continues after win over Blackpool

Posted Sunday, September 17, 2023 by PA

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield hopes his side can continue the improvement that has propelled them up the League One table, as their revival continued with a 2-0 victory over Blackpool.

After seeing their play-off push fall away after Bloomfield succeeded Gareth Ainsworth in February, the Chairboys opened their season with back-to-back three-goal defeats.

This put some early pressure on Bloomfield’s shoulders, but things are starting to click for the man who made 558 appearances for the club as a player, as Wycombe extended their unbeaten run to five games and moved up to seventh.

Bloomfield said: “We believe in continual improvement and we have to make sure that we right some wrongs, but the overriding feeling of today is pride in the performance and pride at the environment around the ground.

“I was touched by the supporters singing my name at the end – they’ve obviously been supporting us for a number of years while I was here [as a player] through thick and thin and that was a special moment.

“Evolution is never easy, evolution looks messy and clunky at times and certainly in my tenure here it’s looked messy at times, and I’m sure there will be some of those moments moving forward.

“But we’re really keen and really driven as a staff to imprint what we believe in the boys and the boys are really driven to take it on and deliver.”

Wycombe were ahead after 12 minutes when Sam Vokes met Kane Vincent-Young’s header and although Daniel Grimshaw saved his header, the Welshman was on hand to tap in the rebound.

Brandon Hanlan then gave the Chairboys a deserved 2-0 lead less than a minute into the second half when he volleyed in Garath McCleary’s cross at the back post.

Blackpool belatedly responded and would have forced a big finish to the game had it not been for Wycombe goalkeeper Max Stryjek making excellent saves from Olly Casey and Sonny Carey.

Seasiders boss Neil Critchley said: “A little bit more than disappointed if I’m honest.

“You know what type of game to expect here; they get the ball forward early, they’ve got players at the top end of the pitch that are strong and they can build momentum in the game by winning first balls and second balls.

“I just felt we allowed them to build that momentum early in the game, so if you concede like we conceded from not stopping a cross and defending in the box, you’re on the back foot straight away.

“We did that in our last away game and we’ve done it again today.

“I just didn’t think we were at the level that is required in this type of game in the first half.”