Ian Evatt issues immediate reaction to Blackpool's defeat to Barnsley as he shares thoughts on key call
Blackpool suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Barnsley.
Ian Evatt states it felt like Blackpool beat themselves in their 2-1 defeat to Barnsley at Oakwell.
A David McGoldrick brace, either side of Ashley Fletcher’s17th goal of the campaign, helped the South Yorkshire outfit to all three points - with the first coming from a Bailey Peacock-Farrell error and the second coming in second half stoppage time.
The Seasiders have now lost three games on the bounce in League One at the start of the new calendar year as their woes with a lack of personnel mount up once again.
“It sums up the week we’ve had,” Evatt said.
“I feel like we beat ourselves today, I feel like we controlled them. In the first half, we had the better chances. We wanted to conserve some energy and press from a mid-block - I felt we did that well, but gifted them a goal.
“At half time we spoke about how Bailey (Peacock-Farrell) has bailed us out a few times so far this season, and repaying that to him.
“In the second half we were excellent and completely dominated the game. There was one team who was really going to win it.
“When we speak about detail, one of the major details is rest defence, and still sensing danger when you’re attacking. We’ve got two men on the edge of the box and two back, and their highest player is allowed to run between two of us unopposed.
“It’s so naive and really hurts, I don't think we deserved that. After a tough week again, we should win the game. To come away with nothing stings.
“It’s a huge sense of frustration as every point matters. We worked so hard to get ourselves out of trouble and now we’re back amongst it.
“We have to be humble enough to accept that and take the ego out of it. At the moment there’s 20 games left and we’re in a relegation fight.
“We think we’re doing pretty good things with the hand we’ve been dealt, but there’s no way we should come away with nothing - it should be a game, we should win comfortably and we’ll learn our lessons harshly.
“We’ve let our squad down with an awful last minute goal. We’ve lost a game we should never lose.”
Thoughts on big calls
The Tykes were fortunate to keep 11 men on the pitch in the closing stages of the first half, as Jonathan Bland avoided a second yellow card for a shirt pull, while there were also penalty calls before the winner.
“Two key decisions went against us,” Evatt added.
“The reason the player got subbed at half time was because they knew it, and we knew it - it was a second yellow card based on the yellow cards he’d already given out in the game.
“Zac Ashworth got one when the ball was nowhere near the opposition. Olly (Casey) intercepted and we’re creating an attack, we’ve stepped beyond their first line of pressure and it’s a clear pull back.
“I don’t understand how it’s not a yellow card. He got subbed off, and that tells everyone everything they need to know.
“In the second half, Ashley Fletcher is about to put it in at the back post, and the player isn’t even looking at the ball and is pulling him back - for me that was a clear penalty. It’s more frustration.”
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