Neil Critchley: Blackpool lost belief in what they were doing

Blackpool manager Neil Critchley felt his team “lost belief in what they were doing” during their disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Stockport in Sky Bet League One.

After a feisty but goalless first half, strikes from Louie Barry, Jayden Fevrier and Tanto Olaofe secured maximum points for the visitors and saw them top the table after the opening two games of the season, while Blackpool tumble to 23rd.

Critchley, who has now overseen two defeats to begin the league season, said: “It was obviously not the result or the performance we wanted, particularly in the second half.

“I didn’t mind us in the first half at all. There was little between the two teams until the first goal went in, but the goals were really poor goals to concede.

“After the first goal, I didn’t think our reaction was positive enough and we lost control of the game. And, ultimately, that’s what cost us the game.

“I thought we had some good passages of play, some good moments. I thought we had a clear penalty that wasn’t given. We robbed the ball off them on the edge of the box cleanly, we got in with just the goalkeeper to beat and the referee pulls it back. A huge moment in the game which went against us.

“In the second half they sat a bit deeper, we had more the ball around the midfield of the pitch, but we lost belief in what we were doing and because of that, we probably then lost control of the game.”

Opposite number Dave Challinor said: “I thought we were a bit safe in the first half. And especially looking at fixtures, coming here with their home record and getting a draw might have been a good result maybe at the start of the game.

“We wanted to win the game but we still wanted to try to be a better version of us than we were last Saturday.

“I thought in the first half we weren’t. I thought we played too direct. I thought we didn’t back ourselves to play. I spoke at half-time and said that if the result is a consequence of us trying to play then I’ll take that.

“I wanted us to play with a bit more more control and reinforcement and belief. And with the threats we have at the top end of the pitch we can win games playing like that.

“There’s certain areas that you have to win.

“They weren’t really pressing us very high and we’ve got what we think are good footballers and we brought good footballers in, so, if we’re not going to back ourselves to play, if we’re going to miss that out, then our recruitment’s wrong and we should have gone and got big, physical, destroyer-type players.”

Challinor added: “We have a lot of good players, so we’re going to trust them with the ball then hope we get pressed, then use our pace behind to go and hurt people. That certainly happened in the second half, so I’m absolutely delighted with our second-half performance, and there’s more to come here.

“To do that today, with that amazing following and win the game in the manner that we did is very pleasing.”