Brett Ormerod column: Blackpool can capitalise on Northampton Town's predicament

Northampton Town desperately need the points tomorrow, so they can’t afford to just sit back, hope for the best and play for a draw.
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That should work in Blackpool’s favour because they’ve struggled a little bit in recent weeks against sides at the bottom who set out to frustrate them.

Every game is a different game though and they’re all tough, no matter who you come up against.

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Northampton can be relegated this weekend, so they’re fighting for their lives and they certainly won’t be making it easy for Pool.

Blackpool go into tomorrow's game on the back of victory at Sunderland in midweekBlackpool go into tomorrow's game on the back of victory at Sunderland in midweek
Blackpool go into tomorrow's game on the back of victory at Sunderland in midweek
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When I was playing towards the end of the season, I never took too much notice of results elsewhere.

You can only focus on your games, there’s nothing you can do about anything else going on around you.

You just have to try and do the job yourselves and get the results you need.

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When the destiny is in your own hands, it’s a lot different to when you’re waiting on other results and Blackpool aren’t having to do that fortunately.

I’m sure Neil Critchley is telling his players just to focus on each game because, if they get a couple of wins, they’re in the play-offs.

It’s five points they need from three games, and with the fixtures they’ve got left, you’d like to think they’ll manage that.

However, as we’ve seen recently, it doesn’t always work out that way.

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It’s going be tough. Bristol Rovers, who Pool play on the last day, are already relegated and how many times have we seen sides who are already down start winning games because the pressure is off?

Joey Barton being Joey Barton and being the former Fleetwood manager, he’d love to put a spanner in the works as well, so they aren’t straightforward games.

I was actually doing the radio commentary for the Accrington Stanley game on Tuesday night and they obviously did Blackpool a favour by equalising in stoppage time against Portsmouth.

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That turned out to be a fantastic result for Pool, just like Crewe equalising late on against Charlton as well. So it turned out to be the perfect night.

To complete the double over Sunderland with two clean sheets is some achievement because they’re a top side and are still right in the mix, even if they aren’t in the greatest form at this minute.

I haven’t seen Sullay Kaikai’s goal yet but I’ve been told it’s an absolute worldie, so what a way to win a game of that magnitude.

A result like this stands them in good stead, so Blackpool have got their destiny in their own hands and that’s all you can ask for at this stage of the season.

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They’ve got three games left to get over the line and they would have snapped your hand off to be in that position after their poor start.

It was important to stop the losing run at least after those back-to-back defeats.

I was at the game against Shrewsbury Town and I don’t think they deserved to get beaten.

They probably didn’t do enough to win it either but, once Shrewsbury got that goal off a set-piece, they defended well.

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They might be lower down in the table but they haven’t actually conceded a lot of goals this season, especially away.

They defended well and it was tough for Blackpool to break them down.

It tends to be the case that Blackpool are better suited to playing against sides at the top rather than those at the bottom, which is just how it works out sometimes.

You get some clubs that come and sit back, but when you play Sunderland, both teams will want to go forward and try and win, which gives Blackpool time to play.

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