Results involving Barnsley and Lincoln City went the say of the Seasiders on Saturday afternoon, but they were unable to do their own job as they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Throughout the campaign, a number of results dented Blackpool’s top six hopes, but just one further win would’ve ultimately been enough for them to extend their season.
Different defeats proved damaging at various times, and summed up the inconsistency of the Seasiders. While it ultimately proved to be a narrow miss, the target could’ve been so much higher.
Here’s the eight most costly results in the failed attempt to reach the play-offs:
1. Blackpool fell short of the play-offs
The Seasiders were unable to make the top six in League One. Photo: CameraSport - Lee Parker
2. Cambridge United 2-1 Blackpool (December 16)
December was probably the most damning month of Blackpool's season. The defeat to Cambridge set the tone for a tough few consecutive away games, with Jordan Rhodes' opening goal quickly cancelled out at the Abbey Stadium. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
3. Burton Albion 1-0 Blackpool (December 26)
Boxing Day proved to be another miserable away day for the Seasiders faithful. Neil Critchley's side fell behind early and couldn't recover at the Pirelli Stadium. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
4. Port Vale 3-0 Blackpool (December 29)
Port Vale didn't enjoy much joy throughout the recent campaign as they were relegated from League One, but claimed a 3-0 over Blackpool in their final outing of 2023. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
5. Stevenage 1-0 Blackpool (February 3)
At the time this felt like a huge defeat, with Stevenage still occupying a top six spot at this point. While ultimately it wasn't the main reason why the Seasiders didn't make the play-offs, it was still a big blow. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns
6. Cheltenham 2-0 Blackpool (February 13)
Like December, February proved to be another costly month for Blackpool. The midweek defeat away to Cheltenham Town was probably their worse performance of the entire campaign. Photo: CameraSport - Andrew Kearns