Oxford United v Blackpool RECAP: Updates from League One play-off semi-final first leg

Blackpool will be hoping to draw inspiration from the club’s already imperious play-off record when Neil Critchley’s side bid to clinch promotion to the Championship this month.

The Seasiders are only three games away from a return to the second tier after a six-year absence.

While the Seasiders haven’t won automatic promotion since 1985, they’re famously the most successful side in play-off history, with five promotions to their name from their eight campaigns.

The club’s record is so strong, they’ve won 16 of the 23 play-off ties they’ve taken part in - an unprecedented success rate of almost 70 per cent.

Pool are unbeaten in their last 10 semi-final encounters and have lost just one of their last 15 play-off games - the Championship final defeat to West Ham, a game they really ought to have won.

“What a season – 74 points, that’s Oxford United back in the play-offs. I’m immensely proud of everybody.

“We’ve been at this for two years and we’re now a big force in League One. We can celebrate this, because finishing in the top six is a great achievement.

“For us to still be in this fight to get out of this league is quite incredible.

“We go into the play-offs nowhere near favourites. We were bottom of the league at the start of the season and in the relegation zone for three months, so it is an immensely proud moment for all of us.

“Last season we got into the play-offs through a phone call and that was hard but on this occasion we did it on the pitch. We are delighted and the best thing is that there will be fans back. We can’t wait.

“For us to get to the play-offs is way beyond our board’s expectations, our fans to a certain extent.

“We have finished above some very big clubs and for some unknown reason we are in with a shout of going to the second tier of English football.”

“Oxford have won six of their seven games and scored a lot of goals. That doesn’t surprise me because they’ve got a lot of attacking players in their team and have a real threat. They have a clear way of playing and they’ve got good players.

“They’ve also got the experience of playing in the play-offs last season and a lot of their current squad were involved in their two-legged game against Portsmouth and the final against Wycombe.

“You could say they’ve got an advantage on that side, but they’re in good form, we’re in good form.

“Across all four teams, I don’t see it as favourites or underdogs, I just see four good teams who are evenly matched.

“The margin, it might be a little bit of luck or bad luck, it might be a decision, but I’d expect all games to be close.”