Blackpool boss wants to maintain their home rule when Shrewsbury Town visit

The Seasiders lost their 16-game unbeaten run on Tuesday night when they slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Rochdale.

They’ll be looking to bounce back when they return to their home ground, where they haven’t been beaten since October 20 – a run that stretches back six months and 18 games in all competitions.

“It’s an incredible effort and we want it to continue,” head coach Neil Critchley said.

“We’ve got three home games to come, and if we remain undefeated in those games, then that would make a significant difference to the end of the season for us.

“That’s got to be the aim for us now.”

The Seasiders face a Shrewsbury team who are only a point or two away from sealing their safety, sitting 18th in the table on 50 points, seven clear of the bottom four.

The Shrews have, however, lost their last three games in the absence of manager Steve Cotterill, who remains sidelined with ill health.

Critchley believes Shrewsbury’s poor run doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story.

“If you look at the way they play and the way Steve Cotterill has set them up, they often play five at the back and they make it hard for you to break them down,” he said.

“They don’t concede too many goals, although they might have done in a couple of games recently.

“From watching their games, some of the goals they’ve conceded have been really unfortunate.

“They’ve made a couple of individual mistakes that have cost them goals, it’s not like it’s a collective effort. It’s not a team problem.

“They’ve got some good players. Their midfield players are good players, and in the forward line, they’ve got enough to cause you problems.

“If you look at Steve’s record since he’s come in, I think if you did the league from when he first came in they would be in the top half of the table.

“That suggests we’ve got a tough game on our hands.”

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