Were Blackpool fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty during their draw against Swansea City? EFL pundits have their say

That’s the verdict of EFL pundit Jobi McAnuff, speaking on Quest’s highlights show this evening.

Swansea had three appeals for a spot kick waved away during this afternoon’s encounter, much to the frustration of Swans boss Russell Martin.The first came when Marvin Ekpiteta shrugged Joel Piroe off the ball early on, while Reece James also avoided punishment following a tangling of legs with Ethan Laird.

The third, and perhaps the most contentious, also involved Laird, with the Swansea full-back appearing to be tripped by James Husband during the second-half.

Discussing all three appeals, and starting with the Ekpiteta shout on Piroe, McAnuff said: “Not for me, this one. It’s good strength from Marvin and he just gets his body across Joel Piroe and he’s just stronger. That’s not a penalty for me on that one.

“This one (James on Laird), it’s touch and go I’ve got to be honest. There is a coming together but again it’s probably not enough for a penalty.

“We seem to be building up to what appears to be a definite penalty here (Husband on Laird).

“There’s contact there just after Laird takes the ball away from James Husband and he just gets a nick there and for me, that should be a penalty.

“It was at 1-0 as well, so it was a crucial time in the game.”

Alongside presenter Colin Murray, McAnuff would also discuss the big news to come out of Bloomfield Road on Friday - the signing of Neil Critchley’s new long-term contract.Pool’s head coach, whose side remain in 10th place in the Championship table, committed his future to the club by signing a four-and-a-half year deal.

“The fact we’re even talking about Blackpool being a possibility for the Premier League, that just shows you how far this club has travelled from those dark days under the previous owners,” Murray said.

“It just shows the importance of going full circle.”

McAnuff added: “There’s certainly a togetherness at the whole football club now, which we saw wasn’t there in previous years.

“Against Swansea their second-half performance was absolutely fantastic and Keshi Anderson finishes off their chance for their equaliser.

“Swansea had 70 per cent possession in the first-half but Blackpool outplayed them in the second-half and were worthy of their point.

“It says a lot about their character which is one of the reasons why they are where they are this season.”

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