EFL pundit pinpoints key thing Blackpool MUST do if they're to stay up

That’s the verdict of EFL pundit Courtney Sweetman-Kirk after witnessing the striker score the winning goal in Blackpool’s crucial victory over Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

Yates took just two minutes to open the scoring after returning to the side from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Easter double header.

While the Seasiders remain four points adrift of safety, the win has at least kept alive their slim chances of staying in the Championship – and if they’re to do that, Yates will be key.

“He was a bit touch and go with his hamstring injury but that’s four goals in four,” Sweetman-Kirk told ITV’s EFL highlights show.

“He obviously had two games out with the injury but in his last four games he’s been scoring.

“That’s the big thing for Blackpool at this moment in time, if they’re to escape the drop it’s got to be about the service into him because you know if you put Jerry Yates in the right place he’s invariably going to score you goals.”

While Blackpool still believe they have it in them to avoid the drop, Saturday’s defeat at Bloomfield Road all but confirms Wigan’s relegation back to League One.

Shaun Maloney’s side, who were recently docked three points by the EFL, are eight points adrift with only four games left to play.

Like the Seasiders, the Latics are onto their third manager of the season, something fellow pundit Sam Parkin feels has been a big hindrance.

“The change in manager didn’t help. Obviously appointing Kolo Toure was a disastrous experiment,” he said.

“Shaun Maloney has clearly got them better defensively but going forward they’ve been woeful and he alluded to that fact at the end of the game.

“He needs better resources, better players at the top end of the pitch because they’re the joint lowest scorers in the division and haven’t scored more than one in a game since November, which basically sums it up.

“When they went behind they had very little going the other way, so that’s where they’re going to need to improve if they’re to bounce back at the first time of asking.”