Neil Critchley gives his verdict on Blackpool's draw against Sheffield United and their offside 'goal'

Neil Critchley knows his Blackpool side are doing plenty right if they’re disappointed to be held to a draw by promotion-chasing Sheffield United.
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Blackpool 0-0 Sheffield United: Play-off hopes dangle by a thread following brea...

Blackpool’s faint hopes of launching a late play-off challenge have been left hanging by a thread following their breathless draw against the Blades.

The Seasiders knew they would realistically have to beat Paul Heckingbottom’s side if they were to have any hope of keeping in touch with the top six with nine games to play.

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While there’s still plenty of points to play for, the gap now stands at seven - which will inevitably grow at the weekend when Critchley’s side aren’t in action.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, Pool have done themselves proud back in the second tier.

Critchley’s men went toe-to-toe with another of the division’s better sides and arguably had the game’s best chances to take the win.

Josh Bowler arguably came closest, rattling the bar with a sublime long-range effort. But Gary Madine and CJ Hamilton also came close.

Neil Critchley's side couldn't have given much more to the cause tonightNeil Critchley's side couldn't have given much more to the cause tonight
Neil Critchley's side couldn't have given much more to the cause tonight
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While their three-game winning run came to an end, the Seasiders couldn’t have given anything more on what was Critchley’s 100th game in charge.

“It was a really entertaining 0-0,” Pool’s head coach said.

Sheffield United edged the first-half in terms of territory and they had a good couple of chances. But they came from our mistakes really.

“We had a couple as well. Josh hit the crossbar and Gary had a chance too.

“But I didn’t think we were quite us in the first-half and I said to the players at half-time it’s almost like we lacked a bit of belief. It was like ‘we’re playing Sheffield United and they’re good’.

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“I just said ‘come on, we deserve to be on the pitch, we deserve to be going head-to-head with these, so go and play and what will be, will be’.

“We went for it in the second-half. We were in the ascendancy, we were on the front foot, played with energy, took the game to them and created some good chances. If any team was going to win it, I thought it was us.”

Critchley added: “You have to give credit to the players. The competitive element of this division is so high in every game. Every player gives everything all the time.

“There’s not a moment on the pitch where you think ‘he’s not competing properly’ and it’s hard to score against top teams, it’s difficult.

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“We created some good chances but unfortunately we couldn’t take them.

“Grimmy hasn’t had anything to do in the second-half, so overall it’s possibly a fair scoreline.

“But if we’re disappointed with a 0-0 against Sheffield United then we must be doing something right.”

The one time the ball did end up in the back of the net, it was ruled out for offside - fortunately so for the Seasiders.

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Oliver Norburn thought he had given the Blades the lead late on when his volley ricocheted off a player, wrongfooting Dan Grimshaw and nestling in the bottom corner.

But Pool were saved by the linesman’s flag and rightfully so according to Critchley, who said: “I knew there was a deflection because you could see it.

“The way we set up from corners, we know that can happen. That’s why we organise our marking system like that.

“I think it happened recently against Coventry where they said they scored two offside goals as if it wasn’t supposed to be offside or it was a borderline decision. But it was clearly offside and Sheffield United’s was clearly offside as well.

“I just couldn’t tell who it hit at the time but it hits one of their players and he’s stood in an offside position.”