'It keeps us moving forward': Neil Critchley reflects on a job well done as Blackpool breeze past Barnsley

Goals in either half from Owen Dale and Ollie Casey handed the Seasiders their second win from their last three games.

It means, with only two games remaining against the two other sides already to be relegated, Critchley’s side move up to 15th and two points above rivals Preston.

The Seasiders were in total control from the first minute until the last at Oakwell and on another night could easily have added more goals to their tally.

In the end, they were left to settle for a routine victory and only their second three points in a midweek game this season - their last coming at Reading back in October.

Critchley admits it was a little tricky to prepare for tonight’s game given Barnsley have already been relegated and opted to part ways with their manager Poya Asbaghi on the eve of the fixture.

“You never know what to expect from a team that’s just been relegated with a new manager coming in,” Critchley said.

“He (interim boss Martin Devaney) changed the system and he changed some of the personnel, so it was quite difficult to prepare for.

“But it was about our attitude and we played with real purpose. The energy we showed was fantastic, we were pressing from the front and we made it really difficult for them.

“We got two goals, but it should have been more really with the situations we created but to keep a clean sheet and to win the game keeps us moving forward.”

The deadlock was broken in the first-half thanks to a moment of quality from Owen Dale, who was handed a rare start.

“I thought he had just overrun it a little bit but then he’s cut back inside,” Critchley added.

“I thought it might actually have been a penalty at first. I thought he might go down. But it’s a great finish off his left foot.

“Owen is one of them, he’s hungry to play football, he wants to play football and that’s the group we’ve got.

“We’ve got real appetite and real personality and I think Owen shows that when he plays.”