Even the perfectionist Neil Critchley must be getting excited - Matt Scrafton's verdict on Blackpool's thrilling draw with Everton

Head coach Neil Critchley appeared despondent, perhaps even dejected, as he sauntered over for his post-match press duties on Saturday evening. He looked genuinely gutted.

The former Liverpool man had just witnessed his charges dismantle Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton in some style and yet Critchley, ever the perfectionist, still wasn’t happy. A tough taskmaster indeed.

Critchley felt his side ought to have won the game and was frustrated at the manner in which Everton scored their three goals, all of them coming via set pieces. He has a point.

But at the same time, the Seasiders were taking on a top side, one put together at a huge cost and managed by a three-time Champions League winner. If there’s ever a time to cut your players some slack, it’s now…

That isn’t how Critchley operates though, he’s the type of boss that always demands more from his troops. It’s the sort of attitude and approach that will be required if Blackpool are to realise their lofty ambitions this coming season.

Perhaps he was just trying to remain cautious to ensure supporters don’t get too carried away. Good luck with that one. Blackpool’s blistering start, in which they ran in three unanswered goals in just 11 minutes, put pay to that.

Everton, who were made to look like Sunday League amateurs, were left utterly shell-shocked. Blackpool, meanwhile, looked like scoring every time they ventured forward.

Barely two minutes were on the clock when CJ Hamilton beat England number one Jordan Pickford all ends up with an arrow into the far corner after being picked out by a lovely through-ball from Pool’s standout pre-season performer, Keshi Anderson.

The Seasiders, now full of beans and intent on pressing and harassing Everton’s nervous backline at every opportunity, could smell blood.

The Toffees, who looked admittedly rusty following their unusually brief lay-off, didn’t heed the warning and continued to invite danger by passing the ball out from the back. Whether it was arrogance, hubris, foolishness or sheer bloody-mindedness, I don’t know, but it was bound to end in disaster for Ancelotti’s side.

Disaster is exactly what followed for Everton as Blackpool threatened to run riot after adding another two in as many minutes.

The impressive Jerry Yates, always full of running and willing to put in the hard yards, unselfishly played in Sullay Kaikai to double Pool’s lead with a confident curling finish into the bottom corner.

With three goals to his name in pre-season, the fully-fit Kaikai now appears to be hitting the heights we all knew he was capable of. Long may it continue.

Blackpool’s display of clinical finishing was complete when the rejuvenated Grant Ward, who looks a different player entirely under Critchley, smashed home a piledriver after Everton were caught dawdling in and around their own box once again.

The visitors, who – while not at their strongest, with the likes of Fabian Delph, Yerry Mina, Andre Gomes, Bernard and Richarlison all missing – were still able to name a side packed full of internationals, unsurprisingly started to come back into it.

Indeed, they pulled a goal back midway through the opening half and, from Blackpool’s perspective, what a soft goal it was.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin rose highest inside a crowded six-yard box to meet Gylfi Sigurdsson’s corner, seeing his downward header deflect into the roof of the Blackpool net.

Despite the setback, the Seasiders remained undeterred and went straight back onto the attack. Unfortunately, chances to add a fourth and a fifth went begging.

Hamilton in particular was a constant menace, the Toffees simply couldn’t deal with his ferocious pace. Add a killer touch to his game, as we saw for his opener – his first goal in tangerine – and the former Mansfield Town man should run amok in League One.

After being left dazed and overwhelmed for much of the opening half, Everton somehow ended it just one goal behind after being awarded a fairly soft-looking penalty after Calvert-Lewin went to ground under pressure from Marvin Ekpiteta.

Sigurdsson, Everton’s standout performer on the day, made no mistake, calmly stroking the ball down the middle of the goal.

Trialist Demetri Mitchell was brought into the fold at the break and the former Manchester United man certainly did himself no harm with a confident display.

The left-back, who has recently been training with Sunderland, should get another opportunity to impress in Tuesday’s friendly against Blackburn Rovers.

Unfortunately for Mitchell it was his foul that led to Everton eventually pulling themselves back on level terms, having previously looked bereft of ideas.

The 23-year-old hauled Theo Walcott to ground just as the Arsenal man looked set to go one-on-one with goalkeeper Chris Maxwell.

A red card would surely have been flashed in his direction during a ‘normal’ fixture, but the Seasiders still faced punishment in the form of an Everton goal, Sigurdsson picking out the top corner with a fierce curling effort, giving Maxwell no chance.

With both sides making wholesale changes, the game eventually petered out, ending in a thrilling draw. Anything less would have been a travesty given the level of Blackpool’s performance.

Their passing, one and two-touch movement and combinations were as good and as confident as we’ve seen so far in pre-season. To do it against a side that included the likes of Pickford, Mason Holgate, Sigurdsson, Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean, Calvert-Lewin et al will fill Blackpool fans with glee.

Critchley will know there’s still work to be done ahead of the real stuff, he’ll know this was ‘only’ a pre-season affair and he’ll know this was a rusty Everton side that has only just returned to training.

But even he must be feeling a twinge of excitement, surely?