‘There’s two ways to look at it’: Michael Appleton issues verdict on Blackpool’s defeat to Luton Town

However, Pool’s head coach did also credit the Hatters for their heroic defending in making a series of last-ditch blocks to deny the Seasiders.

Had the home side made the most of their opportunities, with several of them coming late on towards the death, Appleton believes his side would have been worthy of all three points.

But instead, they slump to back-to-back defeats with now only two points separating them and the bottom three.

“There’s two ways to look at it,” he said.

“We’re frustrated and disappointed to create as many chances as we did…I said to the players I’m not disappointed we haven’t picked up a point, I’m disappointed we haven’t picked up all three.

“The other side of it is, can we be a bit more clinical? And not give them the opportunity to make the blocks?

“At the same time, you’ve got to give the opposition some credit because they’ve defended for their lives. We counted eight, maybe nine point-blank blocks from five or six yards out.

“They are positives today, although it’s difficult at this moment in time. But they’re the type of positives we have to take into Tuesday’s game (against Middlesbrough).”

For the second game running, Pool fell to a 1-0 defeat with the opposition’s goal coming via a set-piece - Luke Berry the man on this occasion to stab home after the hosts failed to clear their lines.

“It’s fine margins,” he added.

“I don’t see us conceding from that first contact, which is a big part of it from corners, free-kicks, whatever it may be. At this moment in time, it’s a lapse in concentration.

“But when you look back at it we’ve had two unfortunate touches by our players that led to them getting the opportunity in the six-yard box.

“It’s something we can be better at and need to be better at, but at the same time I still think conceding one goal today, with the amount of chances we’ve created we still should have won the game.”