Keeping it watertight, but failing to capitalise: Matt Scrafton's verdict on Blackpool's frustrating goalless draw against Oxford

If that is indeed the case, Blackpool have laid exactly the right foundations in recent weeks having gone almost eight hours without conceding a goal in all competitions.

Their latest shutout against Oxford on Saturday never looked in doubt, not until the 93rd minute anyway when Karl Robinson’s men threatened to produce the unlikeliest of smash and grab away-day victories.

Thankfully Chris Maxwell was on hand to produce a simply stunning save, one that deserves to be replayed over and over again, to ensure Blackpool at least picked up a point – the very least their efforts deserved.

Once again the Seasiders were in near total control and ought to have picked up a sixth win from their last seven league outings.

While they weren’t at their free-flowing best, as they were in their last home game against Portsmouth, and didn’t exactly create chance after chance after chance, they still did enough to warrant another victory that would have reduced the gap to the play-offs to just four points with a game in hand.

Nevertheless, a point against last season’s beaten play-off finalists, who have surprisingly struggled so far this season, isn’t the worst result in the world and the draw at least keeps their points tally ticking over – a useful trait to pick up in the midst of the hectic winter schedule.

But, as Neil Critchley pointed out in his post-match interview, this is the sort of game that Blackpool would have transpired to lose earlier in the campaign when everything seemed to be going against them.

Thankfully that wasn’t the case on this occasion, although it could well have been was it not for Maxwell’s heroics in scrambling across his goal – Gordon Banks style – to somehow claw John Mousinho’s stoppage-time header onto the post.

Had the ball ended up nestling into the corner of Blackpool’s net, as appeared inevitable as Mousinho met an inviting, inswinging free-kick in perfect time, it would have been a travesty.

For the Seasiders had controlled the game virtually from start to finish. Oxford, somewhat unsurprisingly given their perilous league position, sitting inside the bottom four at the start of the day, looked timid and a little afraid.

Much of this was down to Blackpool’s dominance and control, an approach that has been developed over time.

Had the Seasiders edged their noses in front early on, which looked on the cards at one point, you would have backed them to seal a fairly comfortable victory.

CJ Hamilton, Blackpool’s main attacking threat all afternoon, probably ought to have done better with an early opportunity after just 12 minutes when he failed to produce the required connection having ran onto Sullay Kaikai’s pullback – eventually bobbling an effort harmlessly wide.

While the opening period was a scrappy, fairly lifeless encounter, Blackpool were always the team on top and the side looking more likely to make the breakthrough.

It appeared as though we would head into the interval without a great deal of action to speak of, but the game sprang into life in the dying moments.

It began with Kaikai squandering a priceless opportunity to give Blackpool a deserved lead when he slipped at the crucial moment having made his now trademark run into the box to meet Hamilton’s cross. Had Kaikai remained on his feet and made a clean contact, Jack Stephens in the Oxford goal wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Three minutes later, Hamilton – involved in the thick of the action once again for the Seasiders – clattered the woodwork out of nowhere with a bullet of a first-time strike from the edge of the box. The keeper was beaten all ends up but the post came to Oxford’s rescue.

Blackpool still found time to waste another presentable opening, James Husband failing to pick out the unmarked Gary Madine in the centre having been unleashed down the left by Kenny Dougall’s clever ball, beating the onrushing Stephens who had rushed out of his goal to close down the threat. Had Husband’s cross been right, Madine would have had the simplest of tap-ins.

The second-half continued in a similar fashion, with Blackpool remaining in the ascendancy and getting themselves into some good attacking positions on a fairly regular basis - only for their final ball to let them down.

For all the talk of Blackpool’s mean defence, it’s also worth mentioning how toothless they can look in attack at times – especially when Madine and Jerry Yates aren’t paired together.

That’s not to say they don’t create chances, because they do - as evidenced by this game. But it often takes the Seasiders three or four opportunities to find the back of the net, a trait we’ve seen all season. It’s that clinical touch they’ve lacked at times.

It shouldn’t come as a massive surprise then, that Pool have only scored 16 goals in 16 games this season – five fewer than bottom side Burton Albion – and have only won one league game by more than one goal (Swindon Town).

Nevertheless, another 1-0 scoreline would have got the job done and they came close to getting it when Hamilton slammed another shot onto the woodwork 25 minutes from time, this time his long-range effort looping onto the crossbar with the aid of a deflection.

It just wasn’t to be, but at least Maxwell was on hand to deny any last-gasp drama. If you can’t win, at least make sure you pick up a point.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here