Neil Critchley – Point was ‘very least Blackpool deserved’ from draw at Oxford

Posted Sunday, October 22, 2023 by PA

Blackpool boss Neil Critchley thought his team thoroughly deserved their point from the 1-1 draw at second-placed Oxford, even though Jordan Rhodes left it late to grab the equaliser.

Rhodes, who had missed two previous opportunities in a stirring second-half fightback by the Tangerines, glanced home a header in the second minute of stoppage time from James Husband’s headed cross.

Jamaica international Greg Leigh had scored his fifth goal of the season to put a dominant Oxford in front in the 36th minute but Blackpool responded well after the break and finished very strongly.

Critchley said: “A point was the very least we deserved from the game after that second half.

“I just don’t think we were close enough in the first half. We allowed a good team with good players to control the game.

“They didn’t really have a good chance except for their goal – they didn’t really get to our goal – but we were just a little bit passive, a bit too far off.

“The goal epitomised the first half for us – we didn’t get close enough to stop the cross and we switched off and didn’t defend the ball into the box well enough. That’s the reason we were 1-0 down.

“In the second half we came out with a lot more aggression to take the game to Oxford and we stopped them from building up and controlling the game, and we pushed them right back.

“Then we were the dominant team and we created a number of chances.

“If we had scored with maybe 10 minutes to go we could have gone on and won the game possibly.

“We could easily have thought it was not going to be our day, but this team never give up.

“It was the first time we have come from behind this season to take something – that’s really important – and that second half is exactly how I want a Blackpool team to play – dominating the ball and possession… sometimes you have to go sideways and backwards to then go forward.

“I felt we had them, the substitutes made a difference. Oxford are at home in great form and not many teams could have come here and done what we’ve done to them today.

“Jordan is actually disappointed coming off the pitch. He said, ‘I could have had two or three goals really’, but it was a great goal, and a brilliant header from Hubby across the box, and Jordan does what he does, he gets across his man and glances it in from the six-yard box.”

Blackpool’s equaliser denied the U’s what would have been a sixth straight league win, but they stay second in the table, behind Portsmouth.

Oxford head coach Liam Manning said: “The lads are obviously disappointed because of the timing of when the goal was conceded.

“But I was delighted with the football we played and our play in possession in the first half, and the goal was outstanding.

“Yes, we have to manage the game better and you do that by getting out wide to stop them getting crosses in – but it takes a lot of running.

“The bigger picture to me, though, is that the first half showed the huge progress we have made. There was some terrific football from us.

“We had a certain structure out of possession today that was different to us in possession and I think the players did that well.

“The goal we scored had some great moments of interplay in the build-up, and the finish was a moment of real quality from Greg.

“What we have to remember is that it was a major transition with the players in the team in the summer.

“The most pleasing thing to me was that the first half showed the progress we have made with the players taking on board what we’re trying to do – because to do that in possession takes a long time normally.”