'I'm made up with a point': Neil Critchley's take on Blackpool's last-ditch leveller in season opener against Bristol City

Neil Critchley was delighted Blackpool were able to mark their return to the Championship after a six-year absence with a point.
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Bristol City 1-1 Blackpool: Shayne Lavery's last-ditch strike rescues Seasiders ...

Shayne Lavery struck a dramatic injury-time equaliser to rescue a draw for the Seasiders in their season opener against Bristol City.

Pool had earlier gone a goal down when the unmarked Chris Martin headed home a deserved opener in the first-half.

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The Seasiders were off the pace in the first-half, but they improved towards the end and got their just rewards with virtually the last kick of the game.

“You can never question the fighting spirit of this team, they always go right until the end. By the end of the game, I felt our performance merited a point,” Critchley said.

“We started well in the first 15 minutes, but they then got on top of us. They didn’t create loads of clear opportunities, but they were on top and had the momentum in the game. You couldn’t begrudge them their lead at half-time.

“I didn’t think we were us in the first-half, we just lacked a bit of belief, confidence and a bit of positivity.

Neil Critchley, right, with assistant Mike GarrityNeil Critchley, right, with assistant Mike Garrity
Neil Critchley, right, with assistant Mike Garrity
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“We gained that in the second-half and we created some good opportunities. We had some good moments and just when you think time is running you, we produced a real moment of quality to get the equalising goal.

“I’m made up with a point.”

Blackpool’s two substitutes and debutants combined for their late equaliser, Josh Bowler crossing for Lavery to turn home at the near post.

“It was a lovely bit of play,” Critchley added.

“We were debating whether to take CJ (Hamilton) or Keshi (Anderson) off and when we put Shayne and Jerry (Yates) up front together, with Keshi and Josh inside, we knew they’d be able to release the front two and it happened.

“For the goal, Keshi came inside, Josh ran the line and that was probably the one moment of quality that has got us the equaliser. Before that we failed in some good situations.

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“It was a great moment, a lovely goal, and I’m delighted for Josh and Shayne.

“One of the messages in the dressing room after the game was that this is a squad game, so if we need to do something after 60 or 65 minutes then it’s no reflection of the players who come off the pitch, it’s just that we need to do something different.

“The players that came on made a really good impact.”

While Nigel Pearson’s side were well worth their first-half lead, Critchley felt the goal ought to have been chalked off.

“We’ve just looked at it and he’s a fraction offside, he’s half a yard off,” he said.

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“We defend like that in the penalty area. When the ball goes out, we push up. We could have pushed out sooner and we could have defended the back post better because you can’t give someone of Chris Martin’s quality a free header at the back post.

“But he’s half a yard offside. I don’t want to go on about VAR in the Premier League, but if that goal was in the Premier League the goal would have been ruled out.

“I feel a little bit aggrieved with that, but I couldn’t begrudge Bristol City being 1-0 up at half-time even though there wasn’t a great deal in the game.”

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