Terry McPhillips aims to strike back next season and solve Blackpool's big problem

The manager said: “We know we need to score more goals, it’s nothing new.

“We’ve kept a lot of clean sheets this season and the defence has been good.

“The goalkeeper Mark Howard has been superb, and Christoffer Mafoumbi has come in and made some outstanding saves.

“So we know where we’ve got to improve and it’s certainly scoring more goals next season.”

Pool were second-best at promotion-chasing Barnsley on Saturday but did threaten a shock when they took an early lead through Harry Pritchard’s deflected effort.

But Cauley Woodrow levelled before the interval and Liam Lindsay headed Barnsley’s winner from a corner.

McPhillips added: “It’s a shame because we paid for our mistakes. We had a bit of luck with one or two chances they missed but we had Nathan Delfouneso’s pass to Antony Evans – he’s just got to play it softer and we can go back in the lead.

“But I’m really pleased with the effort, the desire and the passion these lads have for what they do.

“We’re not daft, we know we haven’t passed the ball like we did at Bradford, Scunthorpe or Luton but you have to give great credit to Barnsley.

“That was a hell of a performance from them, with the crowd and the occasion. Results have gone with them and sometimes you just have to take that.

“It was a hell of a goal from Harry to give us the lead.

“We always looked capable of doing that with the way we set up but we didn’t quite have the quality.

“For the goal our play was different class. We had another moment like that in the second half but you have to take those moments when they come to beat a side like Barnsley.

“For their equaliser, I think it’s gone through Michael Nottingham’s legs.

“We had been getting some really good blocks but I’ve watched it back on the video and he hasn’t quite blocked it, so Chris (Mafoumbi) was always going to struggle to save it.

“We highlighted that before that they do shoot and score a lot from range. I think that’s 17 this season from outside the box.

“I thought we defended it pretty well and blocked a number of shots but the one time we didn’t it went in. The lad then scores off the corner for the winner.

“I thought we gave them a scare. We gave them a match. We were always in it but fair play to Barnsley.”