Absence of Blackpool winger explained following use of new options against Northampton Town
Blackpool suffered a 1-0 defeat against Northampton Town.
Tom Bloxham found himself left at home for Blackpool’s meeting with Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon.
The winger, alongside Zac Ashworth and Andy Lyons, dropped out of the Seasiders’ matchday squad completely for the game at Sixfields, with the decision being purely down to selection.
This made room for Josh Bowler to start on the right following his return to Bloomfield Road, while St. Pauli loanee Scott Banks was handed his debut off the bench in the 1-0 defeat.
Meanwhile, Albie Morgan was played out of position on the left, with CJ Hamilton and Emil Hansson introduced for the latter stages.
The absence of Bloxham came as a surprise to many. While the 21-year-old has struggled with injury since his January move from Shrewsbury Town, when he has been fit, he’s been one of Blackpool’s better performers.
Discussing why the ex-Salop man was left out, Seasiders head coach Steve Bruce stated: “No, he’s not injured - I had that horrible one where I had to leave three behind.
“Him, Zac (Ashworth) and Andy (Lyons) are all young players just learning their trade, but that’s my job, I’ve got to disappoint a few.
“That’s always the awkward part of management, but I think the players know and realise that we’ve got to have a squad of players. If Hubby (James Husband) was fit then I’d be leaving four behind, and that’s even worse.
“I can’t understand why we can't have nine subs like the Championship or the Premier League.”
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