Simon Grayson boosted by best Blackpool tally for years

The only time in the last decade Blackpool had more points at this stage was during the 2013/14 Championship campaign, when they claimed 23 from their opening 12 fixtures.

Grayson’s men, while not playing the most scintillating of football, have responded well to last month’s back-to-back defeats by MK Dons and Coventry City.

Pool have avoided defeat in their four games since, three of them away from home.

Grayson said: “We’ve only lost two games all season, which is a nice position to be in.

“We’ve responded well after suffering that 3-0 defeat at home to MK Dons.

“You keep adding to your points tally, which is all we can do.

“Just look back to the weekend – only one team in the top half of the division won and that just shows how tight it can be.

“We didn’t even play at the weekend and we moved up a place in the division.

“But we leave Bolton having taken part in a keenly contested game, where we got a clean sheet and a point.

“Of course everyone connected with the football club wanted three points but it is not an easy place to get a result.”

The Seasiders now turn their attention to Saturday.

The visitors to Bloomfield Road will be Rotherham United, who were among the promotion favourites at the start of the season but Paul Warne’s Millers currently sit 13th after a mixed start.

Rotherham did, however, earn an impressive win on Saturday, with a 4-0 rout of previously unbeaten Coventry.

Grayson added: “It will be a different type of game on Saturday.

“When you look at Bolton, they play a certain way whereas Rotherham will be in our faces – big, strong and powerful.

“They’re also coming off a great result against Coventry at the weekend.

“We’ll get ready for what should be a good game and hopefully we will get three points.”

If Blackpool are to improve, they will need to gain more of a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch.

But the Seasiders did look strong at the back against Bolton, reducing their opponents to very few clear-cut chances as Grayson’s side earned a their fourth clean sheet of the campaign.

The Pool boss said: “We always want to keep clean sheets. Away from home you want to give yourself that base to try to stay in a game and play with a freedom when you get to the top end of the pitch.

“We’re just lacking in that quality department in the final third.”