Blackpool FC's McAlister won't get carried away

Blackpool midfielder Jim McAlister is not getting carried away by the Seasiders' perfect start ahead of today's trip to Morecambe.
Jim McAlister scored his first goal for Blackpool against Bolton Wanderers on TuesdayJim McAlister scored his first goal for Blackpool against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday
Jim McAlister scored his first goal for Blackpool against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday

McAlister scored his first goal for the club in ‘Pool’s 4-2 extra time EFL Cup first round victory over League One side Bolton Wanderers.

That came just three days after Gary Bowyer’s men started their League Two campaign with a 2-0 home win over Exeter City.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now Blackpool head to the Globe Arena to take on Jim Bentley’s Morecambe side, and with a mass of Saturday and midweek games on the horizon, McAlister is just taking it a game at a time and expects another tough test.

He said: “We have started well but I think it is massively important that we don’t get carried away off the back of two results.

“It is going to be a stage where the games are coming thick and fast and I think we should just take it one game at a time and see where it takes us over the course of the season.

“I don’t think there is going to be an easy game all season. Morecambe’s manager Jim Bentley is well drilled in this division but (our) manager will implement a game plan on us and it is up to us to put that to use today.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

McAlister netted the third goal on Tuesday night to send Blackpool on their way to victory.

It was his first for the club since joining from Dundee in 2015 and he praised supersub John Herron for teeing him up.

He said: “Scoring a lot of goals is not something that I have ever been renowned for but it is nice when it comes along.

“It was brilliant of John, he put it on a plate for me.”

McAlister played in a midfield three with Mark Yeates and debutant Michael Cain.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The latter, who is on loan from Leicester City, attracted McAlister’s praise.

He said: “He was excellent, I think that role really suited him sitting off the play in the middle of the park and we tried to utilise him and free up the space to get him on the ball. Thankfully that worked well.”

Last term Brad Potts spent a lot of time in central midfield with McAlister but Bowyer opted to play him on the wing.

However, injuries to Jamielle Matt, Kyle Vassell, Danny Philliskirk and Jack Redshaw saw Potts pushed up front behind Mark Cullen, where he netted his first of the campaign – and McAlister says a more attacking role suits Potts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “There is probably not as much responsibility going the other way and that suits his game because if we can break up the play and release him going forward then there are not many players that can catch him and he got his reward the other night as well with a fantastic finish.”