Ian Evatt issues immediate reaction to Blackpool FC's vital victory over Wycombe Wanderers
Blackpool overcame Wycombe Wanderers with a 1-0 win on the road.
Ian Evatt has pinpointed ‘togetherness’ as the key factor that has put Blackpool in touching distance of League One survival after their 1-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.
A Luke Leahy own goal at the beginning of the second half proved to be the difference between the two sides in Buckinghamshire, as the Seasiders held on with 10-men to claim a crucial three points after a Hayden Coulson red card.
Alongside the rare away win over the Chairboys, Exeter City’s 3-3 draw with Stockport County elsewhere, puts the Fylde Coast six points clear of the relegation zone with just two games remaining, with several teams between them and the final spot in the bottom four.
“I’m speechless for a change,” Evatt said.
“There’s just togetherness. I spoke to them at length yesterday and today about what the DNA of this club is, and why the teams I played in was so successful. It’s about brotherhood, it’s about family, it’s about togetherness - not just in the changing room, but behind-the-scenes and with the fan base.
“In times of real difficulty this season, the biggest thing I can say is - everyone stuck together. That victory, and others we have had of late, have all been based around that key word of togetherness.
“This is a family, we spent a lot of time together. There’s highs and lows, there’s disagreements, but at the end of the day we fight with each other and for each other. We’ve seen a group of players fight for each other and get a very important three points.
“I’d be pretty distraught if 54 points wasn’t enough. There’s a lot of teams between us and that bottom four now, and a lot still have to play each other. Maybe it’s not done on paper, and it’s not, but I believe in this team and this group. If we keep that spirit, we’ll get the points to make sure it’s mathematical - that’s all I care about.”
Blackpool could’ve taken the lead in the opening exchanges of the game, with Karoy Anderson unable to beat Will Norris one on one, but found the crucial breakthrough with a Leighton Clarkson corner at the start of the second half.
“I was pleased with how we started the game,” Evatt added.
“We found that edge that we’ve been craving for. The difficult months of January, February and parts of March, we were all craving that edge. In times of adversity, sometimes it brings you closer together, and that’s what I feel has happened to us.
“We’ve had struggles this season, and it’s been a tough job for me - we’ve had to dig in and fire fight, but we’ve managed to do it to give ourselves enough of a chance to be a League One team next season.”
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