'It's there' - Blackpool boss makes clear what he wants ahead of FA Cup second round draw
Blackpool claimed a 1-0 over Scunthorpe United to progress to the second round of the FA Cup.
Ian Evatt states making Bloomfield Road a fortress is one of his key targets as Blackpool head coach.
The 43-year-old’s first home game in charge of the Seasiders ended in a 1-0 victory over Scunthorpe United on Saturday afternoon, as his side progressed from the first round of the FA Cup.
Ashley Fletcher’s first half goal proved to be the difference between the two sides, with the National League outfit unable to make the most of their opportunities to strike back.
Evatt’s cup draw hope
The second round draw will take place this evening (November 3) ahead of TNT Sport’s coverage of Tamworth V Leyton Orient.
Things are expected to get underway at approximately 6.45pm, with the Seasiders being ball 32.
Evatt is hoping Blackpool can pick up a home tie - with the next round set to place over the weekend of December 6/7.
“I’ll take anyone here because I want this place to become a fortress again,” he said.
“We understand it’s hard out there for supporters and we haven’t given them loads to shout about, but the ones who came today have seen us win again and we want to try to win back some of our fan base - it’s there, but we’ve got to play our part to get it back.
“We’re working very hard to make that happen.”
Evatt’s thoughts on Scunthorpe win
Evatt remains pleased with the progress his Blackpool side are making following their victory over Scunthorpe - which came a week on from their 2-1 win away to Peterborough United in League One.
“These games are never easy,” he stated.
“I’ve played in a lot of these, I’ve coached a lot of these - credit to Scunthorpe, they came and had a good go. They’re a team playing full of confidence and were throwing everything at us.
“Sometimes when you’re expected to win, you don’t get the credit that a win deserves. This is the second week of our development so there’s going to be highs and there’s going to be lows.
“We’re not going to turn into the team I want us to be overnight, but what they are giving me is effort, spirit, desire and commitment. I’ll have that all day long. We’ve just won back-to-back games, when was the last time we did that?
“There’s lots to work on of course, and we are back to work on Monday, but that’s what we do - we keep trying to improve.
“We had chances in the second half to make the game a little bit easier, but we didn’t take them. We are a work in progress, and we have to be patient. I’m delighted that we’ve managed to win my first two games, because I know what I want to see moving forward.
“There were flickers and moments, especially in the first half of the first half. We looked bright and carved some really good opportunities. We just need to be a bit braver, sometimes a bit smarter, and certainly more clinical when we get the opportunities.
“If they keep giving me the effort, desire and commitment which are the bare minimum to play for this football club, then we will improve everything else.
“It was a tough draw because we had everything to lose and they had everything to gain - at times the game looked like that. They were aggressive and intense, and they’re used to winning, but we hung in there.
“We should’ve properly put the game to bed. Great credit to them, they had a right go at us, but credit to us because we weathered that storm and got through to the next round.”
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