'The long wait for an away win continues': Matt Scrafton's verdict on Blackpool's frustrating goalless draw with AFC Wimbledon

Fourteen games in all competitions have come and gone without the Seasiders claiming a victory on their travels.

The last successful excursion came at the Keepmoat Stadium back in the middle of September.

Armand Gnanduillet started and ended a flowing last-minute move on a crisp Tuesday night against Doncaster Rovers.

The slender, hard-earned win helped Blackpool climb up to fifth in the League One table. It feels like a distant memory now.

The truth is, the managerless Seasiders will take any win now – home or away. The victory against the league’s worst side Southend United at the start of the month is the only time they’ve tasted success in all competitions in their last 14 outings.

Playing the side fourth from bottom in the table, who have just been thrashed 5-0 in midweek, provided another priceless opportunity for David Dunn’s charges to record a long-overdue three points.

Their performance, which was spirited, controlled and well-measured, deserved exactly that. But alas, it didn’t come and Pool were left to rue their poor finishing in front of goal once again.

That is essentially the only thing that let them down at Kingsmeadow on Saturday, because other than that they were pretty much bang on the money.

It always promised to be an uphill battle to find the back of the net given the absence of top goalscorer Armand Gnanduillet. Even with the Frenchman in the team, the Seasiders aren’t the most prolific of scorers.

But the 28-year-old, who was missing for this encounter due to a hamstring injury suffered in the defeat to Bristol Rovers, has more goals to his name – 18 in all competitions – than all of the players that started the game against Wimbledon put together.

Take Nathan Delfouneso’s seven goals for the season out of the equation and the only other player to have hit more than two this term is midfielder Matty Virtue, with three.

But, even without a prolific scorer in their ranks, the men in tangerine still produced more than enough chances to get the job done.

After surviving an early spell of pressure from the hosts, which saw them face a barrage of pressure down their right flank and from set pieces, before Kwesi Appiah headed narrowly over, Pool took control of proceedings.

That came thanks to their calmness and composure on the ball, with midfield loanees Connor Ronan and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall becoming increasingly influential.

Nathan Delfouneso wasted the first of three good chances on 15 minutes when he was denied by the legs of goalkeeper Joe Day before looping the rebound just wide of the far post.

Five minutes later, the 29-year-old used his pace to good effect to get in behind Wimbledon’s static backline for a second time.

The ball sat up nicely for the forward, but he hesitated and opted to delay, eventually seeing his lob deflect just over Day’s crossbar.

With the swirling wind behind them, you’d have expected more from the home side, even taking into account their low league position.

But even with their height advantage, with the Seasiders badly lacking Ben Heneghan and Gnanduillet in that respect, the Dons were unable to fashion any clear-cut chances.

Pool defended well in the first half and, while they weren’t as good on the ball as they were in the second, they displayed all the attributes you want to see from a team that are struggling for both confidence and results.

The second period was a different story entirely as the Seasiders were ultimately camped in Wimbledon’s half for the vast majority of it.

Wave after wave of attacks came and went, Pool constantly banging the door down but to no success.

On-loan Bristol City defender Taylor Moore ought to have broken the deadlock just before the hour mark when he volleyed over with a first-time effort.

He was set up by a subtle first-time lay-off from Gary Madine, who had been picked out with an equally impressive crossfield ball from Ronan.

What followed was to be the main talking point of the match, as Delfouneso somehow transpired to miss from close range when it looked easier to score.

Ronan was adjudged to have beaten the offside trap, somewhat suspiciously, it has to be said, before slipping the ball across the face of goal for the Fonz to tap home – or so we thought.

But, barely six yards out, the forward, yet again, opted to delay and take a touch, and lo and behold that touch overran him and the chance went begging.

Wimbledon seemingly took inspiration from Blackpool’s refusal to win a game that was there to be taken by the scruff of the neck.

The League One strugglers grew in confidence in the dying stages and Pool were reliant on goalkeeper Chris Maxwell to escape with a point, when the game already ought to have been done and dusted with.

Maxwell first did well to deny substitute Adam Roscrow at full stretch before producing a superb reaction stop to tip Shane McLoughlin’s back-post effort over the bar.

Had Blackpool somehow transpired to lose this, there really would have been a full-blown inquest.

On a positive note, the Seasiders were at least able to take solace in keeping their first clean sheet in 18 games. Small mercies, I suppose.

The last time Pool kept a shutout was back in November, when Gnanduillet was at the double in a routine win against...you guessed it, Wimbledon.