Accrington 2-1 Blackpool: Five things we learned
McAlister's place is up for grabs
Despite an inconsistent start to the season, the Scot has virtually remained an ever present in the Blackpool side during this campaign. He was below par on Saturday and was far too wasteful with the ball, and was hauled off in the second half for loanee Michael Cain. The 21-year-old, who can count himself unlucky not to have appeared more often this season, broke the deadlock with a late free kick to hand the Seasiders the lead. Not only did he score the set piece, he also kept the ball well and was tidy in possession.
Pool are short up top
Blackpool's strikers are struggling for goals and that's showing in the way Pool are failing to kill off sides. Armand Gnanduillet and Kyle Vassell have three league goals each, while Mark Cullen has the one. That's just seven goals from's Pool's attackers. We're told Blackpool have a number of options in attack which you would think would work in Bowyer's favour, but the reality is no one striker is staking a claim to be the main man. Jamille Matt came into the side on Saturday for his first league start and while he did okay, I'm not quite sure if it is enough to keep hold of his shirt.
Key moment was the referee's decision
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Hide AdI can talk about tactics, formations and team selection all day but the reality is, the referee's mysterious decision to give an 89th-minute spot kick was the main reason why Blackpool failed to win. Had it not been given and Blackpool had held on for a nervy 1-0 win, I'd probably be talking about the Seasiders' resolve and mental toughness. While Blackpool's performance over the 90 minutes was far from perfect, it was the man in black Andy Haines who had the biggest impact on proceedings.
Seasiders need to work on game management
With a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes to go, after what was a largely dull affair, you would expect Blackpool to see out the rest of the game and earn a vital three points. Those sort of wins when you play poorly but still manage to pick up the three points are going to be priceless if Bowyer's men are going to rise up the table. But they couldn't manage it on Saturday. While there was little they could do with the referee's bizarre penalty decision, they should have regrouped and held on for a point.
Lack of effort proved costly
While Gary Bowyer was understandably furious with the referee, he was also equally as angry with his own players who had failed to track back in the dying moments of the game to stop Accrington grabbing their winner. Full-back Kelvin Mellor looked isolated in the penalty box as the ball was crossed across the goal for Roco to tap in, but he shouldn't have been left in that position. Blackpool should have regrouped and held on for a point - while nothing to write home about, is clearly better than none.