Pool are happy to play home or away

Blackpool face Grimsby Town on Saturday following their goalless draw on New Years Eve

The Seasiders return to Bloomfield Road this weekend to take on a Grimsby Town side that was thrashed 5-1 by league leaders Doncaster Rovers last weekend.

Blackpool, who were themselves beaten 1-0 at Luton Town, have four of their six remaining games at home as they bid to pick up enough points to guarantee a play-off spot.

But Payne insists the Pool players have no preference where they play and played down the significance of their home run.

“I think our away form has been very good,” he said.

“But either way we play at home and the fans that come are good for us so we can’t moan about that.

“We’re good away from home but we’re good at home too, so I don’t think it matters too much where we play.

“If we play like we did against Luton most weeks then we’re going to win more games than we lose.

“On the run we’ve been on I think we’ve shown everyone that we can do it and now we’ve just got to go and do it again.”

If the league table was based on home form the Seasiders would be ninth, having won eight of their 19 league games at Bloomfield Road.

Away from home they have seven wins from their 21 away fixtures, which is also the ninth best away record in the league.

One player who has been key in Pool’s recent run, which has seen them lose just twice in their last 15 games, has been goalkeeper Dean Lyness – and Payne was full of praise for the shot-stopper.

“Dean was brilliant at Luton and he’s been brilliant since he’s come in to the side to be fair to him,” Payne added.

“I think he made three top saves to keep us in the game against Luton.

“We’ve got two very good keepers here but we have competition for places all over the pitch.”

Payne was also full of praise for Pool’s top scorer Kyle Vassell, who has now come off the bench in the last two games following his early return from injury.

The striker almost made an immediate impact against Luton when he sent an acrobatic overhead kick flying towards goal but Hatters shot-stopper Matt Macey pulled off an unbelievable stop to tip it over the bar.

Payne said: “Kyle came on and looked sharp even though he’s obviously been out for a while.

“He scored on his return (against Hartlepool) so he was confident and he tries that sort of thing all the time in training.

“It was a good save from their keeper but it obviously would have been nice if it had gone in.”