'How the hell' - Steve Bruce offers honest verdict on Blackpool's missed chances in Leyton Orient defeat
Steve Bruce was left shocked by the number of chances missed by Blackpool in their 2-1 defeat to Leyton Orient at Bloomfield Road.
While Sonny Carey did find the back of the net, in between the two goals from the visitors’ Charlie Kelman, other Seasiders players wasted some golden opportunities.
During the first half, Ashley Fletcher missed an open goal, while after the break, Niall Ennis failed to convert from close-range and substitute Jake Beesley couldn’t capitalise on a late one V one situation.
Orient keeper Josh Keeley also enjoyed an impressive afternoon, making a number of key saves to keep Blackpool out.
Reflecting on the defeat, Bruce said: “Those that witnessed it today will say ‘how the hell have we not won that.’
“Taking the chances is the most important part, and they were hideous chances that we’ve missed - it’s cost us.
“We gave a poor goal away with the second one, where we’ve got caught up in the emotion of scoring. That’s my biggest frustration of the lot. We killed ourselves with a poor goal where they didn’t have to do much to score it.
“Overall, to a man, they were terrific, we’ve just not taken our chances, which is the crucial area of football and makes it the great game it is. That’s the frustration we all feel tonight because to man they were magnificent.
“It wasn’t just half chances. We’ve had 22 shots on goal, and Fletcher’s doesn’t reflect that because he didn’t hit the target. It was a total domination, but when you’re like that, you’ve got to score.
“Olly Casey had a big chance with a header, but he didn’t make any contact. After that, it’s chance after chance. It’s one of those awful days which you don’t deserve.
“There’s no doubt we carry a threat to teams with the way we play, but maybe now we’re a bit open because not many play with two wide players and two centre forwards like we do.
“In any other game, we would’ve won it twice over, and that’s the disappointing thing. There’s nothing I can criticise. Nobody wants to miss chances. They should be stick on goals, but it hasn’t happened.
“I’ve never been involved in a game where there’s that many to that level, you only get two of them every six games. I can think of six or seven where surely we’ve got to score.”
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