'We can only apologise:' Blackpool coach's immediate reaction to heavy defeat away to Peterborough United

Goals from Malik Mothersille and Joel Randall gave Darren Ferguson’s side a 2-0 lead inside the opening 17 minutes, before Kyle Joseph pulled one back for the visitors.

The Seasiders’ joy was short-lived, with Kwame Poku quickly re-extending the lead shortly after the resumption of play.

Heading into the latter stages, Randall claimed his second of the evening to round off the win for the Posh.

Reflecting on the defeat, Agnew said: “The first few minutes of the game, we did create one or two chances and got behind them. I thought it was only a matter of time until we scored, so I was surprised when they scored actually.

“It was a concern that they scored, and then their second, and then their third after 30 minutes.

“We’d like to think we’ve got players in the team that can score goals, so we could be better with the chances early on, but equally we can’t concede how we did on the transition.

“They skipped by our defenders at times, you can put it down to one v one duals - we have to be better. Tonight the mentality wasn’t there.

“It was an embarrassing defeat in the end. They’ve got good players going forward on transition, but we let ourselves down defensively tonight, and mentally really - to concede one, then two, and then it goes three before 30 minutes, you don’t give yourself any chance to win a game of football.

“At 2-1 we were thinking ‘go on then, let’s get back to where we were,’ but then very quickly the third one goes in, and it becomes a very difficult evening.

“Both wide players were quick, but the players knew that, and you’ve got to deal with it. If you have one v one duals you’ve got to come out on top, and we didn’t do that.

“We’re disappointed and embarrassed with the defeat and the performance. There were moments in the first half where things went against us, but it’s about mentality; things don’t always go your way in a game of football.

“We had a good run of results, and now we’re on a poor run of results.

“In the second half, we made changes but we lost the momentum we had, we lost our discipline and our shape. We never really created enough or tested their keeper. We never played with any zip. If anything we went the other way where confidence drained from the players.

“I’ve not had many moments in my career where I’ve faced that as a coach. It hurts all of the staff, and I’m sure it hurts the players.

“There were 300 or 400 Blackpool supporters that travelled a long way, four hours probably on a Tuesday evening with a long way back in the early hours of the morning. We can only apologise that they’ve seen a performance like that, it’s not acceptable.”