Blackpool finish pre-season with comfortable victory against neighbours AFC Fylde

Goals in either half from Jerry Yates and Beryly Lubala were enough to hand Michael Appleton’s side their third victory of the summer.

The Seasiders recovered from a sloppy start to dominate the encounter at Mill Farm, eventually finding the breakthrough through Yates on the stroke of half-time.

The second period was one-way traffic in the main and the visitors eventually got the second goal their play deserved thanks to Lubala’s emphatic finish, his third goal of pre-season.

Rob Apter was the standout performer in the first-half while Yates and Shayne Lavery also combined well in attack.

Appleton used the game as an opportunity to hand minutes to some of his fringe players ahead of Saturday’s season opener.

The only first-team player to start was Marvin Ekpiteta after the defender recovered from illness from the weekend.

Pool lined up in a 4-4-2 system to allow Shayne Lavery to partner Jerry Yates in attack, while CJ Hamilton and Berylyl Lubala occupied the wing spots.

The majority of first-teamers were left at home while Doug Tharme (abductor), James Husband, Jordan Gabriel (both hamstring), Kevin Stewart and Jake Beesley (both stress fractures of the foot) all remain sidelined.

A trialist was included on the bench, but it’s understood he’s one for the club’s development squad rather than the first-team.

Appleton opted to watch the game from the stands alongside Brett Gerrity and Ben Mansford while his assistant David Kerslake manned the dugout.

Pool’s number two watched on as the Seasiders dominated possession in the early stages, as you would expect, while their National League North opponents looked to break on the counter.

The first chance of the game came Fylde’s way, as Chris Maxwell pushed Nick Haughton’s fierce free-kick over his crossbar.

For Pool, meanwhile, Owen Dale unleashed an ambitious swerving effort from range which failed to trouble Chris Neal’s goal.

Maxwell was forced into making another important save early on as the Coasters threatened at the back post from a corner.

The Seasiders slowly but surely began to assert some control as the half wore on, with Beryly Lubala floating a free-kick over the bar and Dale having a shot blocked from the edge of the box after being teed up by CJ Hamilton.

Blackpool almost opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark when Yates and Lavery linked up well to create some space for the latter, but his instinctive snapshot was well pushed away by Neal.

The two combined well again a few moments later only this time Yates dragged his shot wide of the upright.

Hamilton, meanwhile, began to have more of an influence as he had a low shot turned away at Neal’s near post.

The visitors continued to knock at the door, as their standout performer in the first-half - youngster Rob Apter - fired over after a lovely one-two with Yates in the Fylde box.

Blackpool eventually got their reward with the final action of the opening period as Yates broke the deadlock, slotting neatly past Neal after the ball had broken kindly for the striker.

Jordan Thorniley was the unlikely source of Blackpool’s first chance of the second-half as he headed wide from Yates’ centre.

Blackpool’s superiority in quality was there for all to see as confidence began to flow through the team with some lovely flicks and clever interchange.

Kenny Dougall had a curling effort saved by Neal before Hamilton somehow blazed over after being set free by Lavery.

All of Blackpool’s good work was almost undone midway through the second-half when a Fylde trialist almost levelled for the hosts, but thankfully Maxwell was on hand to push his shot around the post for a corner.

Maxwell’s opposite number was also on good form at the other end as Neal did well to get a glove on the ball just as Lavery looked to have rounded the keeper after being played through by his strike partner Yates.

The Seasiders eventually got the second goal their play deserved in the 72nd minute and it came via a real piece of quality.

Lubala was the man to get it, scoring for the third time in pre-season thanks to an emphatic first-time finish into the top corner from Hamilton’s cutback.

The Seasiders remained on the front foot in the final stages as they searched for a third, but despite their best efforts it eluded them.

Attention now turns to Saturday’s curtain raiser against Reading as the Seasiders look to get their 2022/23 campaign off to a positive start.

TEAMS

Fylde: Neal (Simkin), Whitmore, Obi (Trialist), Bird (Conlan), Gregson (Morrison), Cranston, Hatfield (Davis), Whitehead, Philliskirk, Haughton, Rowley (Osborne)

Blackpool: Maxwell, J. Moore, Ekpiteta (Trusty), Thorniley, Apter, Dougall, Dale, Hamilton, Lubala, Lavery, Yates (Holmes)

Subs not used: S. Moore, Hughes, Trialist, Mariette

Referee: David McNamara