Blackpool v Birmingham City: Live updates from Bloomfield Road

“We’ve got to get back to winning games. We’ve not had that feeling for a while now.

“The games we’ve faced have been really tough games against big clubs and good teams and we’ve been competitive in all of them. But we’ve not won any of them.

“A little bit of luck maybe would help, but we’ve got two home games to go and Birmingham up first, so we want to make sure the season doesn’t just peter out to nothing.

“We’ve worked so hard this season, we’re here on merit, we deserve to be where we are and let’s have a real go.

“It felt a little bit like that in the first-half on Friday. I think the heat played a bit of a part as well, we’re not used to playing in sunshine and heat and both sets of players looked a bit jaded. It lacked an intensity, the game.

“I think we stepped it up in the second-half and that’s why we got on top, but we couldn’t sustain it and our football wasn’t quite good enough to do that.

“Birmingham comes around quickly and we’re at home, so let’s give our supporters something to shout about.”

Jordan Gabriel is likely to be sidelined once again after appearing to suffer another hamstring injury during Friday’s defeat to West Brom.

The right-back (above) had only just returned from a six-week lay-off with another hamstring problem - and Critchley confirmed to The Gazette afterwards it looks like the 23-year-old has suffered the same fate.

With Dujon Sterling already out, Callum Connolly should slot in at full-back which opens up a vacancy in central midfield.

Ethan Robson and Matty Virtue will both be hoping to get the nod - and should the latter be named in the team it will mark his first start of the season.

With Kevin Stewart likely to be absent again, Virtue could well be in line to partner Kenny Dougall in the centre of the park.

Critchley said on Friday he hoped to have Richard Keogh back and available for selection after missing the Good Friday trip to the Hawthorns through illness.

If the experienced centre-back is available, Pool’s head coach will have to decide between him and Jordan Thorniley for the spot alongside Marvin Ekpiteta.

Elsewhere, Dan Grimshaw, Luke Garbutt, Grant Ward and Sonny Carey are likely to remain sidelined.

Blackpool return to Bloomfield Road today looking to get back to winning ways following their Good Friday defeat to West Brom.

They take on another West Midlands outfit in Birmingham City, who will be backed by around 3,300 away fans in the East Stand.

Neil Critchley’s side, who only have five games of the season to go, are without a win in their last five.

They’re also struggling for goals of late, with their last strike to hit the back of the net from open play coming at Stoke City at the start of March.

They take on a Birmingham side who sit in a lowly 20th place, but are 14 points clear of the bottom three.

Lee Bowyer’s men have lost back-to-back games and have won just one of their last six.

Today’s referee is Tim Robinson, who last took charge of a Blackpool game in October when he was the man in the middle for the 2-0 derby win against Preston, when he showed a red card to PNE man Alan Browne.

And welcome to today’s live blog.

Blackpool play their penultimate home game of the season this afternoon when they welcome lowly Birmingham City to Bloomfield Road for their traditional Easter Monday encounter.

Follow the blog for build-up, team news, match updates and post-match reaction.