Blackpool hit with double injury blow in victory over Cardiff City
Blackpool claimed a 3-1 victory over Cardiff City in Ian Evatt’s first league game at home following his appointment as head coach last month.
Blackpool suffered a double injury blow in their 3-1 victory over Cardiff City at Bloomfield Road on Saturday afternoon.
On the whole, there were a number of positives from the contest. Ashley Fletcher was on hand with a brace, Tom Bloxham bagged his first goal of the season, and Bailey Peacock-Farrell produced his strongest performance for the club in between the sticks.
The downside was the loss of two players, with Hayden Coulson exiting at half time, before Josh Bowler was withdrawn just after the hour mark.
For the latter, his injury came during what had been his standout performance since making a Deadline Day return to the Fylde Coast in September.
Providing an update , head coach Ian Evatt said: “It’s his calf, I’m not sure how bad. It’s definitely a muscle injury and not just cramp. That comes from the huge physical output that we’re trying to give the players at the moment to become the team that I want us to be.
“There’s going to be some pain, literally, and we’ll lose some players, but we’ve got some coming back. We’ve seen the physical effort the players have put in today - everyone’s coming away with a Tangerine shirt having enjoyed the game and watching us play.
“Josh is a hugely talented footballer, and he’s really impressed me - not just with the technical side, but his application to do the other side of the game. If he wants to play for me, then that’s how he has to be. I’m confident he can play through the middle as part of a midfield three.
“I’ve been so impressed with him and his attitude, so I’m gutted that he got an injury today.”
Hip problem for Coulson
Coulson’s early exit came on what was his first start in a number of weeks, following his recovery from a fractured arm.
Discussing the new issue for the wing-back, Evatt added: “He hurt his hip in the first half. It’s just the rough with the smooth with injuries at the moment.
“For us to get physically where I need us to get to, there’s a lot of load on the players at the moment, and unfortunately this is going to happen - it’s part of the game. It’s just the next person up. They all get coached the same and they all get treated the same so they should all know their roles.”
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