'We are staying up' - How Blackpool have shifted the mood on last chance saloon
CJ Hamilton bagged a late goal to give Blackpool a 1-0 victory over Burton Albion.
Opinion: It’s been a big fortnight for Blackpool - and they’re making the most of what feels like last chance saloon.
After the Doncaster Rovers defeat earlier this month, it felt like the Seasiders squad had one more chance to prove themselves and get on a run.
Both the match in South Yorkshire and the games building up to it had been incredibly disappointing.
Blackpool had failed to show fight and composure to get something from other teams within touching distance in the table. After already bouncing back from several lows throughout the campaign, it looked as if they were going to struggle to pick themselves again.
But... that fire has been relit in the last couple of weeks, and credit to everyone - they’ve come back with a point to prove.
Has the recent performances been pretty - no, but they’ve been built on hard graft and a clear desire to succeed.
The Port Vale game gave them the perfect platform to prove their mentality, as they came from behind twice to secure three points with a 3-2.
Meanwhile, the Cardiff City 0-0 stalemate was built on defensive resilience, and simply being organised enough to frustrate the Bluebirds.
On Saturday afternoon, the Seasiders combined the key qualities from their previous displays, keeping Burton Albion quiet in attack, and showing that grit to keep battling for a goal, as CJ Hamilton found a 90th minute goal in the 1-0 win.
In attack they were flat for long periods, but the power to keep pushing on to win in any way possible is the key for the club at the moment.
Fans drive Blackpool towards victory
The biggest asset to Ian Evatt’s side on Saturday was the support they received, with the home end selling out as Blackpool celebrated the recent anniversary of the 2019 homecoming.
From the sidelines, the fans made Bloomfield Road bounce, and that clearly acted as motivation.
Chants of ‘we are staying up’ at full time demonstrated the shift of mood in the last fortnight. From a downbeat feeling with hope slipping away to a sense of togetherness with everyone pulling their weight.
Credit must go to the club for putting things in place to get as many people into the ground as possible, as well as the supporters themselves who played their part to perfection.
More to do
Even with the recent boost of seven points in the last three games, the Seasiders still remain on last chance saloon.
While they have edged out of the bottom four, there’s not enough time left in the season to endure another major dip.
They may not win every game between now and the end of the season, but they can’t let any adversity derail them like it has previously.
Good Friday’s game against Exeter City is massive, and could create a decent gap heading into the final five, but they can’t get too high or too low with whatever happens.
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